5  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Rival  \Ri"val\,  n.  [F.  rival  (cf.  It  rivale),  L.  rivales  two 
  neigbors  having  the  same  brook  in  common,  rivals,  fr  rivalis 
  belonging  to  a  brook,  fr  rivus  a  brook.  Cf  {Rivulet}, 
  {Rete}.] 
  1.  A  person  having  a  common  right  or  privilege  with  another; 
  a  partner.  [Obs.] 
 
  If  you  do  meet  Horatio  and  Marcellus,  The  rivals  of 
  my  watch,  bid  them  make  haste.  --Shak. 
 
  2.  One  who  is  in  pursuit  of  the  same  object  as  another;  one 
  striving  to  reach  or  obtain  something  which  another  is 
  attempting  to  obtain,  and  which  one  only  can  posses;  a 
  competitor;  as  rivals  in  love;  rivals  for  a  crown. 
 
  Note:  ``Rivals,  in  the  primary  sense  of  the  word  are  those 
  who  dwell  on  the  banks  of  the  same  stream.  But  since, 
  as  all  experience  shows,  there  is  no  such  fruitful 
  source  of  coutention  as  a  water  right  it  would 
  continually  happen  that  these  occupants  of  the  opposite 
  banks  would  be  at  strife  with  one  another  in  regard  of 
  the  periods  during  which  they  severally  had  a  right  to 
  the  use  of  the  stream  .  .  .  And  thus  'rivals'  .  .  . 
  came  to  be  used  of  any  who  were  on  any  grounds  in  more 
  or  less  unfriendly  competition  with  one  another.'' 
  --Trench. 
 
  Syn:  Competitor;  emulator;  antagonist. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Rival  \Ri"val\,  a. 
  Having  the  same  pretensions  or  claims;  standing  in 
  competition  for  superiority;  as  rival  lovers;  rival  claims 
  or  pretensions. 
 
  The  strenuous  conflicts  and  alternate  victories  of  two 
  rival  confederacies  of  statesmen.  --Macaulay. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Rival  \Ri"val\,  v.  t.  [imp.  &  p.  p.  {Rivaled}or  {Rivalled};  p. 
  pr  &  vb  n.  {Rivaling}  or  {Rivalling}.] 
  1.  To  stand  in  competition  with  to  strive  to  gain  some 
  object  in  opposition  to  as  to  rival  one  in  love. 
 
  2.  To  strive  to  equal  or  exel;  to  emulate. 
 
  To  rival  thunder  in  its  rapid  course.  --Dryden. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Rival  \Ri"val\,  v.  i. 
  To  be  in  rivalry.  [Obs.]  --Shak. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  rival 
  adj  :  being  in  competition;  "rival  suitors";  "competing 
  businesses"  [syn:  {competing(a)},  {rival(a)}] 
  n  :  the  contestant  you  hope  to  defeat;  "he  had  respect  for  his 
  rivals";  "he  wanted  to  know  what  the  competition  was 
  doing"  [syn:  {challenger},  {competitor},  {competition},  {contender}] 
  v  1:  be  equal  to  in  quality  or  ability;  "Nothing  can  rival 
  cotton  for  durability"  [syn:  {equal},  {touch},  {match}] 
  2:  be  the  rival  of  be  in  competition  with  "No  city  can  rival 
  Venice  in  beauty" 

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