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
Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Dec. 2025
Maurer went on to earn a bachelor's degree in physical education and history from Valparaiso University and a master's degree in social and criminal justice from Lewis University in Romeoville, Crain's reported.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 18 Dec. 2025
An elementary school physical education teacher, Erickson credits his background as part of the formula for producing video content that people look forward to watching.
—Craig Bihrle, Twin Cities, 6 Dec. 2025
In that race, Barnes frequently highlighted his parents' union experience; his father, Jesse, worked third shift at General Motors' Oak Creek plant and his mother, LaJuan, worked as a physical education teacher in Milwaukee Public Schools.
—Jessie Opoien, jsonline.com, 2 Dec. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Physical education.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/physical%20education. Accessed 28 Dec. 2025.
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