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rivalry meaning and examples

2025-09-06

Meaning

Rivalry is a noun that refers to competition or conflict between two or more people, groups, or organizations who are trying to achieve the same goal or prove superiority over each other.

Grammar and Usage

  • Part of speech: Noun

  • Countable/Uncountable: Usually uncountable, but can be countable when referring to specific rivalries.

  • Sentence patterns:

    • rivalry between A and B
    • rivalry for (something)
    • intense/fierce rivalry

Example: There is a strong rivalry between the two schools.

Common Phrases

  • fierce rivalry – very strong competition.
  • long-standing rivalry – a rivalry that has existed for a long time.
  • sports rivalry – competition between teams or athletes.
  • business rivalry – competition between companies.

Collocations

  • Verb + rivalry: fuel rivalry, spark rivalry, intensify rivalry.
  • Adjective + rivalry: fierce rivalry, intense rivalry, bitter rivalry, healthy rivalry.
  • Noun + rivalry: family rivalry, political rivalry, business rivalry.

Examples

  1. There is a fierce rivalry between the two soccer clubs.
  2. Sibling rivalry is common in many families.
  3. The rivalry between the companies has driven innovation.
  4. Political rivalry often leads to heated debates.
  5. The long-standing rivalry between the nations shaped their history.
  6. Healthy rivalry in the workplace can motivate employees.
  7. The movie portrays the rivalry of two famous musicians.
  8. His rivalry with his classmate pushed him to study harder.
  • Competition
  • Contest
  • Opposition
  • Antagonism
  • Conflict