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

professional athletes

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

Millions of amateur athletes play tackle football each year, and as evidence mounts at the professional level of the dangers of CTE, parents are increasingly worried about their children going into the sport. — Alexandra Pattillo, Scientific American, 23 Sep. 2026

To speed things up, Democrats want amendment votes, most notably one that would allow college athletes to collectively bargain. — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 22 Sep. 2026

So Helen networks to get Bo and Mido admitted to an elite hagwon—an extracurricular cram school—and sends DH, an athlete, to Andover, then Yale. — Sanjena Sathian, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2026

Peloton aims to widen its customer base, from people looking for a more affordable, space-saving treadmill to more experienced athletes looking for personalized coaching. — Brandon Gomez, CNBC, 22 Sep. 2026

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

Phrases Containing athlete

• athlete's foot

Rhymes for athlete

• amit
• backseat
• blackfeet
• broadsheet
• browbeat
• buckwheat
• compete
• compleat
• complete
• conceit
• concrete
• crabmeat

Kids 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