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 The team forged its collaborations as part of a global marketing strategy rather than pegged to any one player, and therefore is less at risk of losing its prestige when the best athletes leave. Daniel-Yaw Miller, CNN, 5 Mar. 2024 But Richard Paulsen, a sports economist at the University of Michigan, wonders when push comes to shove if college athletes would be willing to strike. Andrea Hsu, NPR, 5 Mar. 2024 Amid the accolades, the athlete and her team are preparing for March Madness — and Clark is also eying her future. Anna Lazarus Caplan, Peoplemag, 5 Mar. 2024 Soviet athletes quickly became a regular, highly successful fixture on the international sports scene. Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Mar. 2024 The Tara Davis-Woodhall who is undefeated in the women’s long jump this indoor season appears to be the same gregarious athlete who won a silver medal in last year’s world championships in Budapest, Hungary. John Ortega, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2024 Now a one-sport athlete, after deciding to forgo his spot in the infield of Missouri’s baseball team, the job as Missouri’s go-to tight end appears to be in Norfleet’s hands. Calum McAndrew, Kansas City Star, 2 Mar. 2024 Poland’s Ewa Swoboda is another athlete spectators need to keep on their radar. Katelyn Hutchison, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 At the time of his cardiac arrest, Carter was an elite athlete, playing games in both Brazil and the U.S. Julia Landwehr, Health, 22 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'athlete.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near athlete

Cite this Entry

“Athlete.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/athlete. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

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

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