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
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
Deborah LawsonExamples 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
Presumably, that must create tension with some clubs, who may not be overly pleased that their athlete is doing extra work outside their supervision.
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 15 June 2025
Just like athletes rely on coaches and teammates, parents need their own support systems.
—Charles C. Daniels, CNBC, 13 June 2025
The attorney who negotiated the $2.8 billion legal settlement for the NCAA said Friday that thousands of former athletes due to receive damages could have to wait months or maybe more than a year to get paid while appeals play out.
—Eddie Pells, Chicago Tribune, 13 June 2025
The story is based on the real experiences of Iranian athletes like Sadaf Khadem, Elnaz Rekabi and Kimia Alizadeh, who risked everything to follow their dreams and stand up to oppressive systems.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for athlete
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.
Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 15 June 2025
Just like athletes rely on coaches and teammates, parents need their own support systems.
—Charles C. Daniels, CNBC, 13 June 2025
The attorney who negotiated the $2.8 billion legal settlement for the NCAA said Friday that thousands of former athletes due to receive damages could have to wait months or maybe more than a year to get paid while appeals play out.
—Eddie Pells, Chicago Tribune, 13 June 2025
The story is based on the real experiences of Iranian athletes like Sadaf Khadem, Elnaz Rekabi and Kimia Alizadeh, who risked everything to follow their dreams and stand up to oppressive systems.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for athlete
Cite this Entry
“Athlete.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/athlete. Accessed 21 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share