athlete

noun

ath·​lete ˈath-ˌlēt How to pronounce athlete (audio)
nonstandard
ˈa-thə-ˌlēt How to pronounce athlete (audio)
1
: a person who is trained or skilled in exercises, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility, or stamina
professional athletes
2
: an animal (such as a horse or a dog) that competes in races or other sporting events or has qualities (such as stamina and agility) suggestive of a human athlete
Hospice working dogs were wiry, muscular, agile, yellowish-tan or brown athletes with unexaggerated heads …—Deborah Lawson

Examples of athlete in a Sentence

Athletes from around the world will be competing at the Olympics. She was quite an athlete as a child.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Kessler, meanwhile, served as co-lead counsel for the athletes in both those cases. — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 4 Aug. 2026 Shortly after the announcement, past videos resurfaced on theater blogs where the actor expressed anti-trans sentiments around pronouns and trans athletes in women’s sports. — Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 3 Aug. 2026 Actual trades and abilities aside, are there connective threads between what makes an athlete or an artist great? — Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 3 Aug. 2026 Outside of her on-court success, Reese has become one of the faces of the league, and is an entrepreneur, philanthropist and role model for the next generation of female athletes. — Irene Wright, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for athlete

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin athleta, from Greek athlētēs, from athlein to contend for a prize, from athlon prize, contest

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of athlete was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing athlete

Rhymes for athlete

See All Rhymes for athlete

Browse Nearby Words

athleisure
athlete
athlete's foot
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Athlete.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/athlete. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

athlete

noun
ath·​lete ˈath-ˌlēt How to pronounce athlete (audio)
: a person who is trained in or good at games and exercises that require physical skill, endurance, and strength

More from Merriam-Webster on athlete

Nglish: Translation of athlete for Spanish Speakers

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