letterman

American  

[let-er-man, -muhn] / ˈlɛt ərˌmæn, -mən /

noun

plural

lettermen

1. a person who has earned a letter in an interscholastic or intercollegiate activity, especially a sport.

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Etymology

Origin of letterman

First recorded in 1715–25; letter ¹ + man, -man

Example Sentences

Stacy, who had arranged a French-speaking pastor, also surprised Mpoyi with a letterman jacket, with his mom’s favorite picture and Bible verse custom-printed on the back.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 2, 2026

After graduating from Beverly Hills High School, where he was a four-year letterman in track, Chamberlain majored in art at Pomona College in Claremont.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2025

His high school’s 1961 yearbook shows him in a letterman jacket standing in front of a laundry machine and washing the team’s uniforms.

From Washington Post • Apr. 12, 2023

The University of Chicago had matching maroon and white letterman jackets, each player’s name stamped on the back: Balakrishnan, Chandran, Zinski.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 7, 2023

He was big, blond, and burly, and he was wearing a letterman jacket.

From "A Very Large Expanse of Sea" by Tahereh Mafi