A rival is a person, team or company that you compete with, because you both want the same thing.
What Does Rival Mean?
You and your rival are both trying to win the same prize, the same place or the same trophy. A rival isn't always an enemy. Many rivals are friends who just happen to want the same thing.
Mia and Leo are chess rivals, and also best friends.
Here's the odd part: the word began with a stream. It most likely comes from a Latin word for neighbours who used the same stream, and who might argue over the water.
🔊 Pronunciation
RY-vul
The stress is on the first part. It rhymes with my: RY. The ending sounds like -vul.
🗣️ Natural Examples
Our school's football team is playing its rival from across town.
My brother and I are rivals when it comes to the last slice of pizza.
The two bakeries are friendly rivals, and they always copy each other's cupcakes.
There's a rivalry between the cat and the robot vacuum, and so far the cat is winning.
No snack can rival a warm cinnamon bun.
🛠️ How to Use It
Rival is a common word, used in school, sport, business and the news.
- As a noun: a rival, my rival, a rival team. She is my biggest rival in the spelling bee.
- As an adjective before a noun: a rival school, a rival team of squirrels.
- As a verb: to rival something means to be as good as it. This use is a little more formal. Nothing can rival Grandpa's soup.
🤝 Common Word Partners
- a friendly rival
- a bitter rival
- a rival team
- a school rivalry
- sibling rivalry
- a worthy rival
🌳 Word Family
- rival (noun): the person or team. Her rival won the race.
- rival (verb): to be as good as. Nothing rivals a hot chocolate on a cold day.
- rival (adjective): competing. The rival team arrived early.
- rivalry (noun): the competition between rivals. The rivalry between the schools is friendly.
👯 Similar and Related Words
- opponent: the person or team you play against in one match. It doesn't say anything about feelings.
- competitor: someone who takes part in a contest or a market, especially in business.
- enemy: someone who wants to harm you. A rival only wants to beat you in a game or contest.
- ally: someone on your side. It's the opposite of a rival.
- teammate: someone on the same team as you.
⚠️ Common Mistakes
A rival is not an enemy.
❌ A rival is someone who hates you.
✅ A rival is someone you compete with. Many are friends.
Rival or rivalry?
❌ There is a big rival between the two schools.
✅ There is a big rivalry between the two schools.
Spelling.
❌ rivel, ryval
✅ rival
💬 In a Conversation
Sam: Is Leo your rival?
Mia: At chess, yes.
Sam: Is he your enemy?
Mia: No, he's my best friend.
Sam: Then why do you look so serious?
Mia: He's about to take my queen.
🕵️ Where Does It Come From?
Rival comes from the Latin word rivalis, which originally meant a neighbour "of the same brook". That in turn comes from rivus, the Latin word for a stream.
The most likely story is that neighbours who shared a stream sometimes competed for its water, so the word came to mean someone who competes with you. English had the word by the 1570s.
Like companion, rival starts with an everyday picture: a companion shares your bread, and a rival shares your stream.
💡 The OddLingo Trick
Picture two neighbours with one stream between them, and both of them want the water.
That is a rival: someone who wants the same thing as you.