- competition
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/kom'pi tish"euhn/, n.1. the act of competing; rivalry for supremacy, a prize, etc.: The competition between the two teams was bitter.2. a contest for some prize, honor, or advantage: Both girls entered the competition.3. the rivalry offered by a competitor: The small merchant gets powerful competition from the chain stores.4. a competitor or competitors: What is your competition offering?5. Sociol. rivalry between two or more persons or groups for an object desired in common, usually resulting in a victor and a loser but not necessarily involving the destruction of the latter.6. Ecol. the struggle among organisms, both of the same and of different species, for food, space, and other vital requirements.[1595-1605; < LL competition- (s. of competitio), equiv. to competit(us) (ptp. of competere to meet, come together) + -ion- -ION; sense influenced by COMPETITOR]Syn. 1. emulation. 2. struggle.
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▪ biotic interactionin ecology, utilization of the same resources by organisms of the same or of different species living together in a community, when the resources are not sufficient to fill the needs of all the organisms.Within a species, either all members obtain part of a necessary resource such as food or space, or some individuals obtain enough for their needs while other members, cut off from the resource, die or are forced to inhabit a less suitable or marginal area. Young members of a population are most often adversely affected.The closer the requirements of two different species, the less likely is it that they can exist in the same area. Species with similar requirements can sometimes exist in the same area if they differ in behavioral ways such as feeding patterns, nesting habits, or activity periods, although they may be forced into direct competition when resources are scarce. Often small populations of two species coexist, but their members have smaller than average bodies or a low reproductive rate.* * *
Universalium. 2010.