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.
Hilliard served as the administrator of Colorado’s Nike Elite program from 2021 to 2025, managing funds from the sportswear giant’s program to provide high school athletes with mentorship and equipment. — Matt Moret, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026 Krueger is bullish on how all forms of internal load data can further individualize training regimens for athletes, comparing the evolution of the space to the introduction of GPS-tracking data into sports. — Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 10 Aug. 2026 At least 10 additional athletes, who will be announced later, also will be invited. — Nancy Armour, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026 And there will be more to come as announcements of athletes, creators, and industry leaders are rolled out closer to the event. — Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 10 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 15 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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