What is the difference between contest and competition?

Answer 1

A contest is arranged by some sponsor, with agreed upon rules, so that somebody can defeat other contestants and win a prize of some kind. A good example is the American Idol TV program. You enter the contest and see if you can win. Competition is a more general phenomenon. For example, in the 1960's there was a competition between the US and the USSR to see who could land a man on the moon first; this was known as the Space Race. No organization sponsored this competition and no prize was awarded to the winner, it was just something that two different nations were trying to be the first to do. Scientific researchers compete to be the first to discover something; again, it is not a formal contest. When you have more than one job applicant, and only one is going to be hired, that is a form of competition although it is not a contest. Of course, a prospective employer could turn it into a contest if he or she wanted to. Whoever can most accurately estimate the number of jelly beans in this jar will be hired. That would be a contest (although it's probably not the best way to select an employee).

Answer 2

A contest is usually based on skill or luck with a winner determined by judges or voting. On the other hand, a competition typically involves participants competing against each other in a formal event or series of events to determine a winner based on performance or results.