powerlifting

American  

[pou-er-lif-ting] / ˈpaʊ ərˌlɪf tɪŋ /

noun

1. a competition or sport involving three tests of strength: the bench press, squat, and two-handed dead lift.

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powerlifting British  

/ ˈpaʊəˌlɪftɪŋ /

noun

1. a form of weightlifting in which contestants compete in the dead lift, squat, and bench press

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Other Word Forms

• powerlifter
  noun

Etymology

Origin of powerlifting

First recorded in 1955–60; power ( def. ) + lift ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ); modeled on weightlifting ( def. )

Example Sentences

Powerlifting consists of three different lifts - a squat, deadlift and a bench press.

From BBC • Oct. 9, 2024

Cooper asked USA Powerlifting for a “therapeutic-use exemption” to take spironolactone, a medicine prescribed to treat her gender dysphoria, “but JayCee was denied because she’s transgender,” Braverman said.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 18, 2024

JayCee Cooper, a transgender woman, sued USA Powerlifting in 2021 after the organization denied her 2018 request for participation.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 18, 2024

Powerlifting is not an Olympic sport, but Andres would presumably be a strong contender at the world championships.

From Washington Times • Aug. 21, 2023

USA Powerlifting has a membership of 27,400 lifters and sanctions more than 400 competitions per year.

From Washington Post • Mar. 14, 2023