mutual competition

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "mutual competition" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a situation where two or more parties are competing against each other in a way that benefits all involved. Example: "In the tech industry, mutual competition often leads to innovation as companies strive to outdo one another."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

19 human-written examples

I looked it up on my phone: "prisoners' dilemma", the famous paradox about mutual competition despite the benefits of cooperation.

The Guardian

The nonlinear reaction terms comprise population dynamic models with temperature dependent reproduction rates subject to an Allee effect and mutual competition.

Mathematical Biosciences

Accordingly, there was a spirit of mutual competition in the air, a vying for new discoveries to be made for both figures.

Harvard University

Mechanistically, the damage and shielding mechanisms governing cyclic fatigue-crack advance were essentially unchanged between ∼25°C and 1300°C, involving a mutual competition between intergranular cracking ahead of the crack tip and interlocking grain bridging in the crack wake.

Acta Materialia

The last stage of that expansion was characterized by the endeavour of all major colonial powers to carry on the mutual competition for colonies peacefully through agreed-upon procedures.

Encyclopedia Britannica

He writes in the spirit of earlier historians, like the 16th-century Florentine Francesco Guicciardini and the 19th-century Milanese intellectual Carlo Cattaneo, who believed that the Italian cities formerly thrived because of mutual competition.

The New York Times - Books

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

41 human-written examples

Companies vying for the same customers are engaged in explicit, mutual, ongoing competition.

The New York Times - Magazine

Private banks say mutuals distort competition and prevent them earning a decent return.

The Economist

The binding residues are similar to a common binding motif suggested from α2-macroglobulin binding studies and provide evidence for an understanding of their mutual cross-competition pattern.

Journal of Molecular Biology

Since 1940, just after Nabokov's arrival in the United States, Wilson and Nabokov enjoyed a warm friendship, a constant Dear Volodya Dear Bunny correspondence full of mutual instruction, jocular competition, oneupmanship, and traded enthusiasms.

The New Yorker

Both the crystallographic orientation and the morphological alignment were able to induce magnetic anisotropy in the alloys, wherein the influence of the crystallographic orientation and the morphological alignment upon the magnetic anisotropic behavior of the alloys strongly depended upon their directions and exhibited either mutual promotion or competition.

Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "mutual competition" to describe scenarios where competition, while present, benefits all involved parties through innovation or increased efficiency.

Common error

Avoid using "mutual competition" to describe purely "zero-sum" games where one party's gain directly corresponds to another's loss. The phrase implies shared benefits, which is not always the case.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "mutual competition" functions as a noun phrase, typically acting as a subject or object in a sentence. As Ludwig examples show, it describes the dynamic of competing entities.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

40%

News & Media

35%

Academia

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "mutual competition" is a noun phrase describing a scenario where competing entities also experience shared benefits from their rivalry. Ludwig AI confirms the phrase's grammatical correctness and usability. It commonly appears in science, news, and academic contexts, suggesting a neutral to formal register. When using the phrase, ensure the context involves benefits for all parties, distinguishing it from "zero-sum" or purely adversarial scenarios. Alternatives such as "cooperative rivalry" or "reciprocal competition" can offer nuanced perspectives. The phrase emphasizes the interdependent and often beneficial aspects of competitive interactions.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

shared competition

Underscores the commonality of the competitive environment.

reciprocal competition

Highlights the give-and-take nature of competitive interactions.

joint rivalry

Stresses the shared aspect of the competition.

bilateral competition

Implies a two-party competitive scenario.

cooperative rivalry

Emphasizes the collaborative aspect often present alongside competition.

collaborative competition

Highlights the cooperative nature of a competitive environment.

interdependent competition

Focuses on the reliance of competitors on each other.

collective competition

Highlights that the competition happens in a group.

concerted competition

Focuses on a coordinated competitive effort.

friendly competition

Indicates a benign and amicable form of competition.

FAQs

How to use "mutual competition" in a sentence?

You can use "mutual competition" to describe a situation where multiple parties compete in a way that leads to overall improvement or innovation, benefitting all competitors involved.

What can I say instead of "mutual competition"?

You can use alternatives like "cooperative rivalry", "reciprocal competition", or "interdependent competition" depending on the specific context.

Which is correct, "mutual competition" or "one-sided competition"?

"Mutual competition" describes a scenario where all parties are actively competing. "One-sided competition" is an oxymoron as competition, by definition, requires at least two participants.

What's the difference between "mutual competition" and "fierce competition"?

"Mutual competition" implies a level playing field where competition benefits all parties. "Fierce competition" suggests an aggressive and potentially destructive competitive environment.