athlete
[ath-leet]
- 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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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
Pronunciation note
Athlete, athletic, and athletics, normally pronounced [ath-leet] /ˈæθ lit/, [ath-let-ik] /æθˈlɛt ɪk/, and [ath-let-iks] /æθˈlɛt ɪks/, are heard frequently with an epenthetic schwa, an intrusive unstressed vowel inserted between the first and second syllables: [ath-uh-leet] /ˈæθ əˌlit/, [ath-uh-let-ik] /ˌæθ əˈlɛt ɪk/, and [ath-uh-let-iks] /ˌæθ əˈlɛt ɪks/. 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 [fil-uh m] /ˈfɪl əm/ for film, [el-uh m] /ˈɛl əm/ for elm, and [ahr-thuh-rahy-tis] /ˌɑr θəˈraɪ tɪs/ for arthritis, rather than the standard [film] /fɪlm/, [elm] /ɛlm/, and [ahr-thrahy-tis] /ɑrˈθraɪ tɪs/.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words
competitorplayeranimalprofessionalcontestantsportjockjockeyamateurcontenderchallengergorillasportspersonExamples from the Web for athlete
Contemporary Examples
Nowhere to be found is the anguish, the drama, the pain of an athlete on that level who considering walking away.
But I think that the more important question is will I see a benefit as an athlete?
What if I were a kid who looked up to an athlete, and that athlete made me want to do better in my own life, and then he left?
Ryan Totka, a celebrity booking agent and founder of sports marketing company Athlete Promotions, agrees.
When an athlete, of any race, thanks God after an impressive feat, nobody takes note.
Historical Examples
The athlete was not so far off that she needed to call very loud.
Weighed and WantingGeorge MacDonald
He liked to think that he was in the hands of Mark Snyder, as an athlete in the hands of his trainer.
A Great ManArnold Bennett
A judge of men would have read him an athlete, perhaps in an unusual line.
The Flying MercuryEleanor M. Ingram
No athlete or any laborer could ever possibly get the muscles you have all over.
Masters of SpaceEdward Elmer Smith
The prince was an athlete, but the man holding him was at this moment made of iron.
The Lure of the MaskHarold MacGrath
athlete
- a person trained to compete in sports or exercises involving physical strength, speed, or endurance
- a person who has a natural aptitude for physical activities
- mainly British a competitor in track and field events
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Word Origin
C18: from Latin via Greek athlētēs, from athlein to compete for a prize, from athlos a contest
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for athlete
n.
early 15c., from Latin athleta "a wrestler, athlete, combatant in public games," from Greek athletes "prizefighter, contestant in the games," agent noun from athlein "to contest for a prize," related to athlos "a contest" and athlon "a prize," of unknown origin. Before 1750, usually in Latin form. In this sense, Old English had plegmann "play-man." Athlete's foot first recorded 1928, for an ailment that has been around much longer.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper