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athlete

noun ath·lete \ ˈath-ˌlēt , nonstandard ˈa-thə-ˌlēt \
|Updated on: 10 Aug 2018

Definition of athlete

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 a 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

See athlete defined for English-language learners

See athlete defined for kids

Examples of athlete in a Sentence

  1. Athletes from around the world will be competing at the Olympics.

  2. She was quite an athlete as a child.

Recent Examples of athlete from the Web

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'athlete.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of athlete

Middle English, from Latin athleta, from Greek athlētēs, from athlein to contend for a prize, from athlon prize, contest

Other General Sports Terms

kegler, mulligan, rappel, turkey

ATHLETE Defined for English Language Learners

athlete

noun

Definition of athlete for English Language Learners

  • : a person who is trained in or good at sports, games, or exercises that require physical skill and strength

ATHLETE Defined for Kids

athlete

noun ath·lete \ ˈath-ˌlēt \

Definition of athlete for Students

: a person who is trained in or good at games and exercises that require physical skill, endurance, and strength

Learn More about athlete

  1. See words that rhyme with athlete Spanish Central: Translation of athlete Nglish: Translation of athlete for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of athlete for Arabic speakers

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