competitor
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competitor
A person, company, or organization that competes with others in a competition, in business, or in sports. A synonym is rival.
Auf dem Smartphone-Markt gibt es viele starke Wettbewerber.
There are many strong competitors in the smartphone market.
The word is derived from 'der Wettbewerb' (competition). The ending '-er' here refers to a person, company, or organization that takes part in the competition.
Unser größter Wettbewerber hat ein neues Produkt auf den Markt gebracht.
Our biggest competitor has launched a new product.
'Wettbewerber' (competitor) is often combined with adjectives that describe the strength or type of competition. Common examples are 'stark' (strong), 'direkt' (direct), 'wichtig' (important), or 'potenziell' (potential).
Apple und Samsung sind direkte Wettbewerber.
Apple and Samsung are direct competitors.
The word is often used in the plural to refer to the competitors as a whole. It frequently appears with verbs that express a competitive situation.
Das Unternehmen konnte sich erfolgreich gegen die Wettbewerber durchsetzen.
The company was able to successfully prevail against its competitors.
participant
'der Teilnehmer' and 'der Wettbewerber' can both describe people or groups in a competition. 'Teilnehmer' is neutral and only means that someone is taking part in the event or activity. 'Wettbewerber' emphasizes that someone is competing with others and that everyone wants to achieve the same goal. The word can also be used for companies or organizations. Learners may confuse the words because a competitor is usually also a participant. If it is only about taking part, you say 'Teilnehmer'. If the competition or rivalry is important, 'Wettbewerber' fits better.
Wegen der neuen Preise verliert die Firma Kunden an einen Wettbewerber.
Because of the new prices, the company is losing customers to a competitor.
Die Organisatoren begrüßen alle Teilnehmer vor Beginn des Wettbewerbs.
The organizers welcome all participants before the competition begins.