anticompetitive
an-tee-kum-PET-ih-tiv
/ˌænti.kəmˈpɛt.ɪ.tɪv/
Tending to reduce or discourage market competition; preventing fair rival business activity.
Describes business conduct or agreements that artificially restrict open market competition to benefit dominant firms.
The story behind the word. Formed by prefixing 'anti-' (against) onto 'competitive' (from Latin 'competere', meaning to strive or seek together). Modern antitrust law developed this word in the mid-20th century to categorize corporate behaviors designed to stop other firms from striving for customers.
Word relationships
- monopolistic: Monopolistic specifically describes traits of a single ruling firm, while anticompetitive covers any conduct that harms competition.
- restrictive: Restrictive is broader, while anticompetitive specifies harm done to free market rivalries.
- pro-competitive: Actions, policies, or market conditions that actively encourage and foster dynamic business competition.
Commonly confused with
- uncompetitive: Uncompetitive means weak, expensive, or inefficient; anticompetitive means actively blocking competitors illegally.
Word family
- competitiveness (noun): The ability of a firm or market to compete effectively.
- competition (noun): Rivalry among sellers attempting to achieve business goals.
Collocations
- anticompetitive practices
- anticompetitive behavior
- anticompetitive effects
- anticompetitive agreement
Example sentences
- "Regulators blocked the proposed acquisition, citing concerns over anticompetitive behavior in the cloud software sector." Corporate litigation headline
- "Exclusive distribution contracts can be deemed anticompetitive if they permanently lock smaller rivals out of retail shelf space." Regulatory report
Memory hook
ANTI (against) + COMPETITIVE = Fighting against fair market competition. Anti-competitive = Blocking market rivals.
When not to use
Do not use to describe a person who dislikes sports competition; this is strictly an economic/business term.
Fun facts
- In modern economics, even acts that seem beneficial to customers—like lowering prices temporarily—can be ruled illegal anticompetitive behavior if designed to drive rivals bankrupt.
Explore more words
antitrust, price-fixing, monopolize, dumping, oligopoly, monopoly
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