athlete
noun
ath·lete
ˈath-ˌlēt 
nonstandard
ˈa-thə-ˌlēt
1
: a person who is trained or skilled in exercises, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility, or stamina
2
: an animal (such as a horse or a dog) that competes in races or other sporting events or has qualities (such as stamina and agility) suggestive of a human athlete
Hospice working dogs were wiry, muscular, agile, yellowish-tan or brown athletes with unexaggerated heads …—
Deborah Lawson
Deborah LawsonExamples of athlete in a Sentence
Athletes from around the world will be competing at the Olympics.
She was quite an athlete as a child.
Recent Examples on the Web
The origin of the Chicago flag In a big-money era, University of Illinois shrugs off rules on athletes’ NIL deals
Records show that a fraction of the school’s athletes are complying with a state law requiring them to disclose endorsements.
—Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2025
However, the trans athlete had already been publicized in other local media prior to Libby's post.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 4 Apr. 2025
The athlete’s physique is both a marvel and a weapon.
—Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 4 Apr. 2025
That suit seeks more money for players, saying too little of the revenues end up in the athletes’ hands, and lays out a series of other complaints about the way the sport is run.
—Howard Fendrich, Baltimore Sun, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for athlete
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Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2025
However, the trans athlete had already been publicized in other local media prior to Libby's post.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 4 Apr. 2025
The athlete’s physique is both a marvel and a weapon.
—Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 4 Apr. 2025
That suit seeks more money for players, saying too little of the revenues end up in the athletes’ hands, and lays out a series of other complaints about the way the sport is run.
—Howard Fendrich, Baltimore Sun, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for athlete
Cite this Entry
“Athlete.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/athlete. Accessed 7 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
athlete
noun
ath·lete
ˈath-ˌlēt
: a person who is trained in or good at games and exercises that require physical skill, endurance, and strength
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