physical education
noun
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The Importance (Linguistic and Otherwise) of Physical Education
Physical education has existed since ancient times, but it wasn’t until several hundred years ago that the term itself (abbreviated as phys ed or PE) came into being. Its earliest known use comes, oddly enough, from a 1748 book titled Critical Reflections on Poetry, Painting, and Music: “Cannot some years prove more favorable than others to the physical education of children. . . ?” A few decades after these words were published, gymnasiums opened across Europe, especially in Germany, where gymnastics associations (or turnvereins) fostered physical health as well as civic involvement and cultural enrichment. Thanks in part to immigration, these clubs, and European enthusiasm for athletics in general, spread to the U.S. During the 19th century, American educators adopted European methods of teaching physical training, and both the word physical education and the phenomenon it represents became well established in this country.
Examples of physical education in a Sentence
Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2026
Plainfield school records from 2024 list Buetikofer as a physical education and health teacher.
—Lauren Victory, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026
His résumé also stated that he was employed from 2012 to 2017 at Freedom Middle School in Berwyn as a physical education teacher, Plainfield school officials said.
—Alicia Fabbre, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
For now, Lee plans on maintaining his role at King Philip as a physical education teacher.
—Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for physical education
Cite this Entry
“Physical education.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/physical%20education. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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