sportsman

[ spawrts-muhn, spohrts- ]

noun

, plural sports·men.

1. a man who engages in sports, sports, especially in some open-air sport, as hunting, fishing, racing, etc.
2. a person who exhibits qualities especially esteemed in those who engage in sports, sports, as fairness, courtesy, good temper, etc.

sportsman

/ ˈspɔːtsmən /

noun

1. a man who takes part in sports, esp of the outdoor type
2. a person who exhibits qualities highly regarded in sport, such as fairness, generosity, observance of the rules, and good humour when losing

Gender Note

See -man.

Derived Forms

• ˈsportsmanˌship, noun
• ˈsportsman-ˌlike, adjective

Other Words From

• sportsman·like sportsman·ly adjective
• sportsman·li·ness noun
• un·sportsman·like adjective
• un·sportsman·ly adjective adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of sportsman¹

First recorded in 1700–10; sports + -man

Example Sentences

They’re sexy, powerful sportsmen, but they’re also elegant and well-dressed.

From Washington Blade

The new Sportsman AutoPilot from Old Town aims to change this.

From Popular-Science

Palin, the former reality star on TLC, is launching her new show in April on the Sportsman Channel.

From The Daily Beast

The Sportsman Channel was touting its upcoming new series, “Amazing America with Sarah Palin.”

From The Daily Beast

I am both a sportsman and a sports fan and I have nothing but good wishes for the athletes coming to Sochi.

From The Daily Beast

Assault rifles are light and accurate, but no sportsman is going to pour a barrage of hot lead into a deer.

From The Daily Beast

He wanted to be like Papa when he grew up—novelist, sportsman, womanizer, and legend in his own time.

From The Daily Beast

He was a manly young fellow, a sportsman and renowned at cricket, and she was amiable and pretty, a little blonde beauty.

From Project Gutenberg

Haggard himself not infrequently headed the list, for he was an enthusiastic sportsman and a brilliant shot.

From Project Gutenberg

Here I met again constantly the great sportsman who had noticed me so kindly, and I became his follower, his disciple.

From Project Gutenberg

Garnett, if odd in manner and character, had always been a true sportsman though not a lover of sport.

From Project Gutenberg

Not to be a sportsman, not to play the game—to accuse him of this would have brought him back from the edge of the grave.

From Project Gutenberg