sportsman

noun

sports·​man ˈspȯrts-mən How to pronounce sportsman (audio)
1
: a person who engages in sports (such as hunting or fishing)
2
: a person who shows sportsmanship
sportsmanlike adjective
sportsmanly adjective

Examples of sportsman in a Sentence

He was a keen sportsman all his life.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
For any sportsman living in the Eastern half of the nation, one of the great things about a hunt in the West, in my opinion, is the chance to sample the matchless friendliness and hospital ity of the people there. Robert Merchant, Outdoor Life, 1 Oct. 2025 Dressing as a true-blue, off-duty, yet insanely famous, American sportsman. Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025 Built in 1892 for sportsman C.K.G. Billings, Green Gables became the flagship of the Wrigley family’s estates in the town of Lake Geneva when William Wrigley Jr. bought it in 1911. Amy Bizzarri, Chicago Tribune, 26 Aug. 2025 The common complaint is that the sportsmen, wealthy and powerful, managed to seize the fish for themselves. Boyce Upholt, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for sportsman

Word History

First Known Use

1651, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sportsman was in 1651

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sportsman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sportsman. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

sportsman

noun
sports·​man ˈspō(ə)rt-smən How to pronounce sportsman (audio)
ˈspȯ(ə)rt-
1
: a person who engages in or is interested in sports and especially outdoor sports
2
sportsmanlike adjective
sportsmanly adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on sportsman

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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