Synonyms for rivalry
ˈraɪ vəl riri·val·ry

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:3.0 / 3 votes

1. rivalry

   Aspiration is the desire for excellence, pure and simple. Ambition, literally a going around to solicit votes, has primary reference to the award or approval of others, and is the eager desire of power, fame, or something deemed great and eminent, and viewed as a worthy prize. The prizes of aspiration are virtue, nobility, skill, or other high qualities. The prizes of ambition are advancement, fame, honor, and the like. There is a noble and wise or an ignoble, selfish, and harmful ambition. Emulation is not so much to win any excellence or success for itself as to equal or surpass other persons. There is such a thing as a noble emulation, when those we would equal or surpass are noble, and the means we would use worthy. But, at the highest, emulation is inferior as a motive to aspiration, which seeks the high quality or character for its own sake, not with reference to another. Competition is the striving for something that is sought by another at the same time. Emulation regards the abstract, competition the concrete; rivalry is the same in essential meaning with competition, but differs in the nature of the objects contested for, which, in the case of rivalry, are usually of the nobler sort and less subject to direct gaging, measurement, and rule. We speak of competition in business, emulation in scholarship, rivalry in love, politics, etc.; emulation of excellence, success, achievement; competition for a prize; rivalry between persons or nations. Competition may be friendly, rivalry is commonly hostile. Opposition is becoming a frequent substitute for competition in business language; it implies that the competitor is an opponent and hinderer.

   Synonyms:
   ambition, aspiration, competition, emulation, opposition

   Antonyms:
   carelessness, contentment, humility, indifference, satisfaction

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:4.0 / 1 vote

1. competition, contention, rivalrynoun

   the act of competing as for profit or a prize

   "the teams were in fierce contention for first place"

   Synonyms:
   rival, contestation, competitor, disceptation, competition, disputation, contender, argument, arguing, contention, challenger, contest, tilt, controversy

Matched Categories

1. • Group Action

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. rivalrynoun

   Synonyms:
   competition, emulation, contention, RIVALSHIP

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. rivalrynoun

   Synonyms:
   competition, emulation, contention

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "rivalry":

   competition, infighting

How to pronounce rivalry?

How to say rivalry in sign language?

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use rivalry in a sentence?

1. John Sawers:

   I don't think it's an existential threat in the way the Soviet Union was in the Cold War but nevertheless there is going to be deep rivalry over control of technology, we have more to do in the West to make sure we are independent of China.

2. Tom Johnston:

   I have to say, everybody is really putting in all effort, i ’m proud to be part of it. The vibe in the rehearsal studio and on the road is neither fraught with rivalry nor overly professional.

3. Rob Ford:

   Politics is often as simple as : People like being on one side of a rivalry and love it when they get one over their rival.

4. Jaroslav Halak:

   It’s a big game, big rivalry for our team.

5. Tyler Pastornicky:

   It's a rivalry. You hear about it. You come over here to Team USA and that's what they tell us. They got a lot of good players down there and it's kind of what it is, but we got good players they got good players and it's always heated games. We always play hard.