Meaning & use
competitive sport
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable or uncountable
A sport in which players or teams compete against each other to win.
Grammar: Can be countable ('a competitive sport') or uncountable when talking about the activity in general ('competitive sport').
Patterns
- play a competitive sport
- take part in competitive sport
- a competitive sport like something
Football is a competitive sport played in almost every country.
She gave up competitive sport after injuring her knee.
Many schools encourage children to try at least one competitive sport.
noununcountable
Organized sports events in which winning is the main goal, rather than fun or exercise.
Grammar: Used without 'a' when talking about the whole category. Often contrasted with 'recreational sport'.
Patterns
- in competitive sport
- the world of competitive sport
- competitive sport at something
The pressure in competitive sport can be very high for young athletes.
He moved from recreational running into competitive sport at the age of thirty.
Drug testing is an important part of competitive sport.
Word forms
| plural | competitive sports |
|---|
Common combinations
- play a competitive sport
- Children should be allowed to play a competitive sport if they want to.
- take part in competitive sport
- She took part in competitive sport throughout her teenage years.
- the world of competitive sport
- The world of competitive sport is not for everyone.
- competitive sport at a high level
- Competing at a high level in competitive sport requires great dedication.
Synonyms and how they differ
- organized sport
- Organized sport is any sport run by clubs or leagues; competitive sport emphasizes the goal of winning.
- professional sport
- Professional sport is played for money; competitive sport can be amateur or professional.
- athletics
- Athletics usually refers to track and field events; competitive sport is a broader term.
Opposites
Word family
- compete verb
- To try to win a game, race, or contest.
- competition noun
- An event where people try to win, or the act of competing.
- competitor noun
- A person who takes part in a competition.
- competitive adjective
- Wanting to win, or involving competition.
Commonly confused: competitive sport or competitive?
competitive sport vs competitive
As an adjective, 'competitive' means 'wanting to win' or 'as good as others'. 'Competitive sport' is the noun phrase.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'competitive sport' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Competitive sport' is a noun phrase meaning a sport where people compete. Option 1 is wrong because 'competitive' is an adjective there and 'sport' is not needed. Option 2 is possible but less natural than 'a competitive sport' because 'watched' suggests a specific event, not a category. Option 3 is nonsense.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “competitive sport”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.