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
First and foremost, the sports broadcaster, 47, praised the star quarterback, 29, and his tight end counterpart, 35, for their multi-hyphenate talents, doubling as standout athletes on the field and businessmen away from it.
—Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 5 Sep. 2025
Trump has long been a sports fan, often attending events on the campaign trail and golfing with famous athletes.
—Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 5 Sep. 2025
That includes businesses that provide professional services, such as doctors, lawyers, consultants, athletes, and brokers—typically, any business whose success depends on the reputation or skill of its employees.
—Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 4 Sep. 2025
However, not all research has come to the same conclusion here, and the effects and benefits may vary according to the regularity of exposure, type of exercise, or between athletes and average Joes.
—Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for athlete
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Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 5 Sep. 2025
Trump has long been a sports fan, often attending events on the campaign trail and golfing with famous athletes.
—Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 5 Sep. 2025
That includes businesses that provide professional services, such as doctors, lawyers, consultants, athletes, and brokers—typically, any business whose success depends on the reputation or skill of its employees.
—Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 4 Sep. 2025
However, not all research has come to the same conclusion here, and the effects and benefits may vary according to the regularity of exposure, type of exercise, or between athletes and average Joes.
—Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 4 Sep. 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 11 Sep. 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
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