athlete

American  

[ath-leet] / ˈæθ lit /

noun

• athletes
  plural

1. 

   a person trained or gifted in exercises or contests involving physical agility, stamina, or strength; a participant in a sport, exercise, or game requiring physical skill.

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athlete British  

/ ˈæθliːt /

noun

1. a person trained to compete in sports or exercises involving physical strength, speed, or endurance

2. a person who has a natural aptitude for physical activities

3. a competitor in track and field events

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Pronunciation

Athlete, athletic, and athletics, normally pronounced , , and , are heard frequently with an epenthetic schwa, an intrusive unstressed vowel inserted between the first and second syllables: , , and . The pronunciations containing the extra syllable are usually considered nonstandard, in spite of their widespread use on radio and television. Pronunciations with similarly intrusive vowels are also heard, though with less currency, for other words, as for film, for elm, and for arthritis, rather than the standard , , and .

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonathlete
  noun
• superathlete
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• athletes
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of athlete

1520–30; < Latin āthlēta < Greek āthlētḗs, equivalent to āthlē- (variant stem of āthleîn to contend for a prize, derivative of âthlos a contest) + -tēs suffix of agency

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Explanation

An athlete is someone who trains for and competes in sporting events, as a professional or just for fun, like an athlete who bowls on a team, runs in local 5K races, or wins a gold medal at the Olympics. The noun athlete comes from the Greek word athletes, meaning “contestant in the games.” Anyone who competes in sporting competitions can be called an athlete, but usually the term is reserved for people with a high level of dedication, skill and fitness. If your income comes from participating in your sport, you are a professional athlete.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

athlete athletes

“Choose the people, habits, and environments that move you closer to where you want to go.⁠ Send this to a young athlete who needs this reminder today.⁠”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026

If an athlete misbehaves, they do not give the entire football team the heave-ho.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

In addition to filming grill advertisements at the residence, the athlete used a private studio and office space to work on sermons.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 21, 2026

"He's not an endurance athlete. He's a power athlete and he had some big efforts there a couple of times, back-to-back and we've seen him do that before."

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

Back then, these grandmasters commanded as much prestige in Soviet society as a movie star or an Olympic athlete does in contemporary America.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

The other candidates on the Student List range from academics to athletes – and economists to engineers.

From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026

“In partnership with Jean-Georges, we’re building a lifestyle destination that blends world-class dining, holistic wellness, and elevated service—a combination that deeply resonates with globally-recognized athletes, food connoisseurs, and art and culture enthusiasts.”

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 23, 2026

He isn’t happy to be in front of the media, like so many more “appreciative” athletes posit themselves to be.

From Salon ● Oct. 21, 2026

"During the Games, we also listened carefully to feedback from the athletes who were actually using the facilities and responded promptly with necessary improvements and measures."

From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026

Gavin Hopewell played a coach who'd been fired from the major leagues so he was used to dealing with real athletes, not a bunch of kids.

From "The Sky at Our Feet" by Nadia Hashimi

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Related Words

• animal
• competitor
• contestant
• jock
• player
• professional
• sport

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