outcompetes

Outcompetes is the third-person singular present tense of the verb outcompete. To outcompete someone or something is to perform better in a competition, thereby gaining an advantage and often surpassing rivals in key metrics such as performance, market share, or resource acquisition.

Ecology: In ecological contexts, outcompeting occurs when one organism uses limiting resources more efficiently than another, leading to the displacement or local exclusion of the competitor. This process is related to the competitive exclusion principle, which notes that two species competing for the same resource cannot stably coexist. Examples include invasive species that outcompete natives for light or nutrients, or a plant that grows faster and shades out competitors.

Economics and business: In markets, firms or products can outcompete rivals by lower costs, superior quality, innovation, branding, customer service, or network effects. Outcompeting can lead to increases in market share and profitability, but it may also trigger competitive responses such as price wars, regulatory scrutiny, or resource investments.

Linguistic note: Outcompete is a transitive verb formed with the prefix out- plus compete. It is used with an object (e.g., a firm outcompetes its rivals) and is commonly used in both formal and informal discourse. Related terms include surpass, outperform, and outmaneuver.

See also: competition; competitive exclusion; market share; competitive strategy; outperform.