athletic
Americanadjective
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physically active and strong; good at athletics or sports.
an athletic child.
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of, like, or befitting an athlete.
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of or relating to athletes; involving the use of physical skills or capabilities, as strength, agility, or stamina: athletic training.
athletic sports;
athletic training.
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for athletics.
an athletic field.
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Psychology. (of a physical type) having a sturdy build or well-proportioned body structure.
adjective
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physically fit or strong; muscular or active
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of, relating to, or suitable for an athlete or for athletics
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of or relating to a person with a muscular and well-proportioned body See also somatotype
Pronunciation
See athlete.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of athletic
First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin āthlēticus, from Greek āthlētikós; see athlete, -ic
Explanation
If you're athletic, you have a natural talent for sports and fitness. You might jump nonstop through a strenuous aerobics class, then go run a few miles, and top it off shooting hoops with the basketball team. If you're a champion speed skater, you've most definitely got an athletic build, and while skinny jeans may not look so great on you, you probably look pretty good in running shorts. You know the ancient Greeks loved athletic competitions — after all, they invented the Olympics. Fittingly enough, the word athletic goes back to the Greek word athlein, meaning "to compete for a prize."
Vocabulary lists containing athletic
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams, who has been struggling with a hamstring problem, also features in the 26-man squad.
From BBC • May 25, 2026
"If the season was to start tomorrow, I couldn't do it," he told BBC Sport Scotland in the immediate aftermath of the 3-1 victory over Dunfermline Athletic at Hampden.
From BBC • May 23, 2026
Richards was included on the roster confirmed by the Athletic despite tearing two ligaments in his left ankle in Crystal Palace’s penultimate Premier League match with Brentford last weekend.
From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2026
The Athletic said it had independently confirmed the 26-player list with multiple sources.
From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2026
Tucked throughout are nests of the lesser brands, such as Athletic Works, Basic Equipment, and the whimsical Looney Tunes, Pooh, and Mickey lines, generally decorated with images of their eponymous characters.
From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
