nonathlete

noun

non·​ath·​lete ˌnän-ˈath-ˌlēt How to pronounce nonathlete (audio)
 nonstandard  -ˈa-thə-ˌlēt
: a person who is not an athlete
an obstacle course too demanding for a nonathlete
nonathletic
ˌnän-ath-ˈle-tik How to pronounce nonathlete (audio)
 nonstandard  -ˌa-thə-ˈle-
adjective
nonathletic interests/activities

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web This is not the first such test for Ms. Goldschmidt, 47, who is the first nonathlete to run U.S. Ski & Snowboard in at least a quarter-century. Dan Fitzpatrick, WSJ, 5 Feb. 2022 Then, by scanning obituaries and old yearbooks, the researchers narrowed the group to 300 athletes who played contact sports and 450 nonathletes. Sabine Galvis, Science | AAAS, 3 July 2019 But even at schools where athletics is a loss leader and in sports that don’t draw many paying customers, competitors ought to be able to take advantage of whatever market value their skills might have, just as student nonathletes do. Eric Zorn, chicagotribune.com, 29 Oct. 2019 Salazar is arguably the most famous nonathlete ever to receive a doping sanction. David Epstein, ProPublica, 1 Oct. 2019 Nine percent of athletes had evidence of CTE, compared with just over 3% of nonathletes. Sabine Galvis, Science | AAAS, 3 July 2019 The program also welcomes nonathletes and even adults, because the universal lessons of mindfulness, focus and resilience apply to everyone. René A. Guzman, ExpressNews.com, 13 June 2019 The tests gave me, a nonathlete, a taste of what the elite crew teams at my school must have experienced: the glory of beyond-regional success, along with the more enduring satisfaction of having been in it together. Caitlin Macy, WSJ, 22 Feb. 2019 And some see managing heart-rate variability as a way for nonathletes to deal with stress. Charles Wallace, WSJ, 25 June 2017 See More

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

Word History

First Known Use

1885, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nonathlete was in 1885

Dictionary Entries Near nonathlete

Cite this Entry

“Nonathlete.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nonathlete. Accessed 28 Mar. 2023.

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