/ ˈraɪvl; NAmE / noun , adjective , verb
■ noun
rival (to sb/sth) (for sth) a person, company, or thing that competes with another in sport, business, etc. :
The two teams have always been rivals.
The Japanese are our biggest economic rivals.
This latest design has no rivals (= it is easily the best design available) .
► rival adjective [ only before noun ]:
a rival bid / claim / offer
fighting between rival groups
He was shot by a member of a rival gang.
■ verb
( -ll- , NAmE also -l- ) [ vn ] ~ sb/sth (for / in sth) to be as good, impressive, etc. as sb/sth else
SYN compare with :
You will find scenery to rival anything you can see in the Alps.
—see also unrivalled
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WORD ORIGIN
late 16th cent.: from Latin rivalis , originally in the sense person using the same stream as another, from rivus stream.