sportswear

noun

sports·​wear ˈspȯrts-ˌwer 

1

: clothing designed for casual or informal wear

… American designer Claire McCardell, one of the pioneers, in the 1940's, of the casual school of fashion known as sportswear, … established that she would never make a dress without pockets—women needed a place to put their hands, she said.

—Bernadine Morris

Isaia has moved quickly to pivot its in-house production, supplementing flamboyant suiting with casual sportswear and all the pieces a man needs to dress down his suits and sport coats.

—Robb Report

Mix-and-match monochrome is the latest trend in sportswear separates …

—Dana Dickey

2

: clothing designed to be worn for sports or fitness training

… showed off her incredible abs as she poses in the gym wearing sportswear.

—James Brinsford

… the Boston-based sportswear brand unveiled tennis star Coco Gauff's new signature tennis shoe …

—Victor Deng

Football sportswear refers to specially designed sportswear products that offer enhanced physical movement and comfort to the players. They include a wide range of products, consisting of jerseys, pants, shorts, socks, and shoes, that are utilized by athletes for training and playing purposes.

—ResearchAndMarkets.com

Examples of sportswear in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Ayman El Bouhy, chairman at Champs Land, an Egyptian sportswear manufacturer operating out of the Mekka Industrial Zone in Abu Rawash, spoke about the fast-growing changes in the industry and inside his own business. — Mayu Saini, Footwear News, 24 Sep. 2026

The German sportswear brand also sponsors a number of W and Unrivaled players, including Kelsey Plum, Kahleah Copper and Aliyah Boston. — Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 23 Sep. 2026

On October 11, Chinese sportswear giant Anta will announce the next phase of its partnership with designer Chen Peng, with the collaboration also featuring during SHFW. — Yiling Pan, Vogue, 22 Sep. 2026

Eleven years after ending its association with Nike, the University of Miami is once again going into business with the world’s highest-grossing sportswear and apparel giant. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 16 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1903, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for sportswear

• abwehr
• affair
• affaire
• airfare
• altair
• armchair
• aware
• beware
• bugbear
• carfare
• childcare
• compare

Kids Definition

sportswear

noun

sports·​wear ˈspō(ə)rt-ˌswa(ə)r 

ˈspȯ(ə)rt-, 

-ˌswe(ə)r

: clothes suitable for sports or for casual or informal wear