spectator sport

American  

noun

1. any sport that can be watched by spectators, as football or basketball, usually for a fee.

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spectator sport British  

noun

1. a sport that attracts more people as spectators than as participants

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Etymology

Origin of spectator sport

First recorded in 1940–45

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

spectator sport

For years I’ve called the Herndon Climb America’s next great spectator sport.

From Slate ● Jun. 24, 2026

Trading is being reimagined as a spectator sport, complete with play-by-play commentary and, of course, prediction bets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 14, 2026

Americans began to hold their own by the 1920s, and professional golf has increased in popularity as a spectator sport to this day.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 29, 2025

According to The Official Monster Raving Loony Party website other policies include Wellingborough Golf Club being developed into an intergalactic space port and fishing made a spectator sport by introducing piranha into the River Nene.

From BBC ● Jan. 23, 2024

I wondered if I should have brought along my boyfriend to make the experience feel more real or important, but I hadn't expected it to be a spectator sport.

From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi

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