sportswear

noun

sports·​wear ˈspȯrts-ˌwer 

1

: clothing designed for casual or informal wear

… American designer Claire McCardell, one of the pioneers, in the 1940's, of the casual school of fashion known as sportswear, … established that she would never make a dress without pockets—women needed a place to put their hands, she said.

—Bernadine Morris

Isaia has moved quickly to pivot its in-house production, supplementing flamboyant suiting with casual sportswear and all the pieces a man needs to dress down his suits and sport coats.

—Robb Report

Mix-and-match monochrome is the latest trend in sportswear separates …

—Dana Dickey

2

: clothing designed to be worn for sports or fitness training

… showed off her incredible abs as she poses in the gym wearing sportswear.

—James Brinsford

… the Boston-based sportswear brand unveiled tennis star Coco Gauff's new signature tennis shoe …

—Victor Deng

Football sportswear refers to specially designed sportswear products that offer enhanced physical movement and comfort to the players. They include a wide range of products, consisting of jerseys, pants, shorts, socks, and shoes, that are utilized by athletes for training and playing purposes.

—ResearchAndMarkets.com

Examples of sportswear in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There’s also the concern that Nike has fallen behind on innovation, with no new and exciting sportswear products to attract consumers, an issue compounded by the tariffs and high gas prices that have been squeezing consumer companies generally. — Mia Osmonbekov, Fortune, 30 June 2026

The sportswear maker was founded in the Bavarian town of Herzogenaurach in 1949, and produced its first soccer boot the following year. — Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 29 June 2026

The company—which produces a wide range of apparel and footwear for brands such as The North Face, Lululemon and Patagonia—will eventually transition that plant’s production from cotton products to high-tech functional sportswear and outerwear. — Jennifer Bringle, Footwear News, 29 June 2026

The growing popularity of gym shorts beyond the gym can be attributed to their versatility, practicality, and the recent convergence of sportswear and fashion trends. — Amanda Le, InStyle, 27 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1903, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for sportswear

• abwehr
• affair
• affaire
• airfare
• altair
• armchair
• aware
• beware
• bugbear
• carfare
• childcare
• compare

Kids Definition

sportswear

noun

sports·​wear ˈspō(ə)rt-ˌswa(ə)r 

ˈspȯ(ə)rt-, 

-ˌswe(ə)r

: clothes suitable for sports or for casual or informal wear