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

The Senate passed a bill Monday night that aims to regulate college sports after several court cases in recent years dramatically overhauled NCAA rules and allowed student-athletes to earn money from their name, image, and likeness, known as NIL. — Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 29 Sep. 2026

The irony is that Reeve makes her living coaching in a league that exists because there is a separate category for female athletes. — Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2026

There have been other sports investors and athletes on the Oura cap table. — Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 29 Sep. 2026

Since 1980, only two Summer Games have featured a cauldron lit by a non-Olympic or Paralympic athlete. — Los Angeles Times, 29 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