athletic

adjective

ath·​let·​ic ath-ˈle-tik 

nonstandard

ˌa-thə-ˈle- 

1

: of or relating to athletes or athletics

an athletic scholarship

athletic teams

athletic events

2

a

: characteristic of an athlete

athletic talent

a strong, athletic build

b

: vigorous, active

an athletic lifestyle

c

: active or gifted in sports, games, or exercises

He's not very athletic.

3

: used by athletes

athletic shoes/equipment

the school's athletic fields

4

: mesomorphic

athletically

ath-ˈle-ti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Examples of athletic in a Sentence

They each received an athletic scholarship to the school.

Students can get discount tickets for all athletic events.

His athletic career spanned three decades.

She has great athletic ability.

She's tall and has an athletic build.

Recent Examples on the Web

Former Georgia Tech athletic director J Batt has found a new home. —Fisher Isbell, AJC.com, 15 June 2026

At the southwest corner of Boise State’s Albertsons Stadium, the Allen Noble Hall of Fame welcomes fans from near and far to walk through 5,400 square feet of championship trophies, sports memorabilia and stories of the athletic programs’ most important figures down the years. —Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 15 June 2026

And his determination to succeed on the Knicks was shaped by his father’s own athletic run. —Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 15 June 2026

The company added that Atlas’s athletic feats, including handstands and backflips, serve a practical purpose by helping develop balance, agility, slip recovery, and endurance needed for real-world industrial environments. —Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 15 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

see athlete

First Known Use

1585, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing athletic

• athletic supporter
• athletic trainer

Rhymes for athletic

• acetic
• aesthetic
• ascetic
• cosmetic
• diegetic
• eidetic
• emetic
• esthetic
• frenetic
• genetic
• helvetic
• hermetic

Kids Definition

athletic

adjective

ath·​let·​ic ath-ˈlet-ik 

1

: of, relating to, or characteristic of athletes or athletics

2

: vigorous sense 1, active

3

: strong sense 1, muscular

athletically

-ˈlet-i-k(ə)lē 

adverb

athleticism

ath-ˈlet-ə-ˌsi-zəm

noun

Medical Definition

athletic

adjective

ath·​let·​ic ath-ˈlet-ik 

: characterized by heavy frame, large chest, and powerful muscular development : mesomorphic