athlete

[ ath-leet ]

noun

1. a person trained or gifted in exercises or contests involving physical agility, stamina, or strength; a participant in a sport, exercise, or game requiring physical skill.

athlete

/ ˈæθliːt /

noun

1. a person trained to compete in sports or exercises involving physical strength, speed, or endurance
2. a person who has a natural aptitude for physical activities
3. a competitor in track and field events

Pronunciation Note

Athlete, athletic, and athletics, normally pronounced [ath, -leet], [ath-, let, -ik], and [ath-, let, -iks], are heard frequently with an epenthetic schwa, an intrusive unstressed vowel inserted between the first and second syllables: [ath, -, uh, -leet], [ath-, uh, -, let, -ik], and [ath-, uh, -, let, -iks]. The pronunciations containing the extra syllable are usually considered nonstandard, in spite of their widespread use on radio and television. Pronunciations with similarly intrusive vowels are also heard, though with less currency, for other words, as [fil, -, uh, m] for film, [el, -, uh, m] for elm, and [ahr-th, uh, -, rahy, -tis] for arthritis, rather than the standard [film], [elm], and [ahr-, thrahy, -tis].

Other Words From

• non·athlete noun
• super·athlete noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of athlete¹

1520–30; < Latin āthlēta < Greek āthlētḗs, equivalent to āthlē- (variant stem of āthleîn to contend for a prize, derivative of âthlos a contest) + -tēs suffix of agency

Word History and Origins

Origin of athlete¹

C18: from Latin via Greek athlētēs, from athlein to compete for a prize, from athlos a contest

Example Sentences

The man in charge of preparing Los Angeles for the 2028 Summer Olympics was never an elite athlete.

From Los Angeles Times

I was an athlete as a young person, and smoking was not what you did.

From Los Angeles Times

“It indirectly showed his teammates how much he really loved the game, and it also showed how much of an unbelievable athlete he really was.”

From Los Angeles Times

“I have two little girls, I don’t want them getting run over on a playing field by a male or formerly male athlete, but as a Democrat I’m supposed to be afraid to say that.”

From BBC

In Trump's first term, sport and politics regularly clashed in the US, with his presidency appearing to spark a new era of intensifying athlete activism.

From BBC

Related Words

• animal
• competitor
• contestant
• jock
• player
• professional
• sport