1
a
: of, relating to, used, or suitable for sport
especially
: trained for trapping or retrieving game
sporting dogs
b
: marked by or calling for sportsmanship
c
: involving such risk as a sports contender may expect to take or encounter
a sporting chance
2
: of or relating to dissipation and especially gambling
3
: tending to mutate freely
sportingly
adverb
Examples of sporting in a Sentence
It wasn't very sporting of you to trip him.
Recent Examples on the Web
Fiorentina have also approached Tottenham’s co-sporting director Fabio Paratici about a surprise return to Italy to head up their football operation, a little over two months after his re-appointment at the Premier League club.
—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 1 Jan. 2026
The same is true across all other non-sporting departments, where the competition for labor is against the total labor market, and not just athletes with a unique skillset.
—Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Currently, 212 breeds and varieties are recognized by the American Kennel Club which are divided into seven groups (sporting, hound, working, terrier, toy, non-sporting, herding).
—Jalen Williams, Detroit Free Press, 24 Dec. 2024
Known for its boozy, celebrity-stuffed broadcast, the Globes long ranked as one of the most-watched non-sporting live programs of the year.
—Time, 12 Dec. 2022
See All Example Sentences for sporting
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Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 1 Jan. 2026
The same is true across all other non-sporting departments, where the competition for labor is against the total labor market, and not just athletes with a unique skillset.
—Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Currently, 212 breeds and varieties are recognized by the American Kennel Club which are divided into seven groups (sporting, hound, working, terrier, toy, non-sporting, herding).
—Jalen Williams, Detroit Free Press, 24 Dec. 2024
Known for its boozy, celebrity-stuffed broadcast, the Globes long ranked as one of the most-watched non-sporting live programs of the year.
—Time, 12 Dec. 2022
See All Example Sentences for sporting
Cite this Entry
“Sporting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sporting. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sporting
adjective
sport·ing
ˈspōrt-iŋ 
ˈspȯrt-
1
: of, relating to, or suitable for sport
sporting events
sporting dogs
2
: involving about as much risk as a sports competitor would expect to take
a sporting chance
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