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

The collection features elevated, fashion-forward sportswear, including luxe knitwear (polos, skirts and tops), sweat sets, tailored track pants and performance outerwear, along with workout gear, sporty tailoring, dresses, skirts, shirts and accessories such as handbags. —Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 10 June 2025

Stop by to shop American sportswear summer staples like button-down linen shirts, light cashmere sweaters, and white jeans. —Elise Taylor, Vogue, 2 June 2025

Through the platform, supporters can purchase a wide range of sportswear, equipment and memorabilia. —Asif Burhan, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025

The German sportswear company Adidas said this week that steeper tariffs would eventually lead to higher prices for U.S. customers. —Madeleine Ngo, New York Times, 2 May 2025

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