Konkurrencen

Konkurrencen is the definite singular form of the Danish noun konkurrence, meaning competition, contest, or rivalry. It is used for both a specific contest (for example, a talentkonkurrence) and for the general idea of competition in economic, social, or cultural contexts. The definite form signals that the competition is identified or previously mentioned.

Etymology: Konkurrencen derives from konkurrence, borrowed from French concurrence, which in turn comes from Latin concurrere, meaning to run together or to contend. The Danish form became established in early modern Danish and is now standard in both speech and writing.

Usage: In economics and business, phrases such as konkurrencen i markedet or konkurrencen mellem virksomhederne describe competition in the market or the rivalry among firms. In sports and culture, the term can refer to a particular contest or to a broader sense of rivalry. When speaking about a specific contest, the definite form konkurrence is used with the definite article as konkurrencen: “Konkurrencen om førstepladsen er tæt.” The plural forms are konkurrencer (indefinite) and konkurrencerne (definite).

Related terms: The indefinite form konkurrence refers to competition in a general sense or to a non-specific contest, while konkurrencerne denotes the definite plural. The concept also appears in phrases like konkurrencelovgivning and konkurrencestyring in specialized contexts.