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.
And sure enough, this male athlete beat me, beat all my teammates and that continued to happen the entire season. Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 9 July 2025 All three athletes will stand alongside one another on the NBA2k26’s Leave No Doubt Edition cover. Kambui Bomani, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025 Most athletes aspire to play right away, and that isn’t always realistic. Matt Le Cren, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2025 There are several reasons that athletes soak in cold or ice water after competition. Mark Gurarie, Verywell Health, 9 July 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 12 Jul. 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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