figure skating

American  

noun

1. ice skating in which the skater traces intricate patterns on the ice.

2. a type of ice skating developed from this, emphasizing jumps, spins, and other movements that combine athletic skills and dance techniques.

3. a competitive sport in which the skater is required to execute school figures and to perform one or more original programs of difficult jumps, spins, etc., to a musical setting.

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figure skating British  

noun

1. ice skating in which the skater traces outlines of selected patterns

2. the whole art of skating, as distinct from skating at speed

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• figure skater
  noun

Etymology

Origin of figure skating

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

That’s relatively common in figure skating for gold medal winners who face a rush of media and commercial opportunities after a grueling four-year Olympic buildup.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 28, 2026

Ilia Malinin highlighted mental health struggles during an emotional performance at the Olympic figure skating gala on Saturday as men's gold medallist Mikhail Shaidorov got the crowd going to 'Kung Fu Panda'.

From Barron's • Feb. 22, 2026

U.S. figure skater Alysa Liu smiled through a monster free program, clinching the figure skating gold medal at the Winter Olympics in Milan on Thursday.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 21, 2026

The most likely AIN representative to win gold was Russian women's figure skating champion Adeliia Petrosian, however the 18-year-old finished sixth after falling during her free skate.

From BBC • Feb. 20, 2026

The short-distance races, following the figure skating, were all within the oval of the principal arena.

From The Girls of Central High Aiding the Red Cross Or Amateur Theatricals for a Worthy Cause by Morrison, Gertrude W.