heptathlon

American

[hep-tath-luhn, -lon] / hɛpˈtæθ lən, -lɒn /

noun

an athletic contest for women comprising seven different track-and-field events and won by the contestant amassing the highest total score.

heptathlon British

/ hɛpˈtæθlɒn /

noun

an athletic contest for women in which each athlete competes in seven different events

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

heptathlete

noun

Etymology

Origin of heptathlon

First recorded in 1985–90; hept- ( def. ) + (dec)athlon

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.

See Examples For:

heptathlon

The heptathlon concludes on Saturday evening with the 800m at 19:45 BST.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

Kate O'Connor said her late grandmother "would have been jumping for joy" as the Ireland athlete won gold in the heptathlon at the European Championships in Birmingham.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

Katarina Johnson-Thompson ended day one of the heptathlon in 17th position overall but said she was "just happy to be here" after a difficult season dealing with injuries.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

"They're all dragging each other to these incredible times. The level of the 800m has risen significantly in the past two years," said Jessica Ennis-Hill, who won heptathlon gold at the London 2012 Olympics.

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

She won multiple gold medals from the Olympics and world championships in the heptathlon and long jump while also setting world records.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 27, 2026

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023