athlete

noun

ath·​lete ˈath-ˌlēt How to pronounce athlete (audio)
nonstandard
ˈa-thə-ˌlēt How to pronounce athlete (audio)
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

Examples 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Advertisements that were contextually relevant and featured female athletes performed especially well across the board. Russell Leung, CNBC, 11 Mar. 2025 With more money flowing into the industry than ever before, these gains could also translate into financial progress for female athletes. Kim Elsesser, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025 But Kern and another American, Alaskan Gus Schumacher, led international athletes in negotiations that prompted the group to stand down. Nat Herz, NPR, 10 Mar. 2025 President Donald Trump recently enshrined his stance on the debate in law, by signing an executive order barring transgender female athletes from competing in women's or girls' sporting events. William Lambers, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for athlete

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin athleta, from Greek athlētēs, from athlein to contend for a prize, from athlon prize, contest

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of athlete was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Athlete.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/athlete. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

athlete

noun
ath·​lete ˈath-ˌlēt How to pronounce athlete (audio)
: a person who is trained in or good at games and exercises that require physical skill, endurance, and strength

More from Merriam-Webster on athlete

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