Synonyms

sports

American

[spawrts, spohrts] / spɔrts, spoʊrts /

adjective

of or relating to a sport or sports, especially of the open-air or athletic kind.

a sports festival.
(of garments, equipment, etc.) suitable for use in open-air sports or for outdoor or informal use.

sports British

/ spɔːts /

noun

(modifier) relating to, concerned with, or used in sports

sports equipment
(modifier) relating to or similar to a sports car

sports seats
Also called: sports day. a meeting held at a school or college for competitions in various athletic 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

Etymology

Origin of sports

First recorded in 1910–15; sport + -s ³

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.

Blame Notre Dame’s leadership, not USC’s, for the collapse of one of one of the biggest rivalries in sports, not just college football.

From Los Angeles Times

Readers have mistakenly sent me emails intended for Jason Gay, the Journal’s sports columnist.

From The Wall Street Journal

Arguments over who was the wealthiest person in human history break down the way arguments over sports stars falter.

From Barron's

As a child, Levis got to know the medical system well, thanks to injuries he sustained while playing sports and testing boundaries.

From The Wall Street Journal

I combined film and business and formed Special Event Television, a sports TV production company.

From The Wall Street Journal

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