athlete
Americannoun
noun
-
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
-
a competitor in track and field events
Pronunciation
Athlete, athletic, and athletics, normally pronounced , , and , are heard frequently with an epenthetic schwa, an intrusive unstressed vowel inserted between the first and second syllables: , , and . 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 for film, for elm, and for arthritis, rather than the standard , , and .
Other Word Forms
- nonathlete noun
- superathlete noun
Etymology
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
Explanation
An athlete is someone who trains for and competes in sporting events, as a professional or just for fun, like an athlete who bowls on a team, runs in local 5K races, or wins a gold medal at the Olympics. The noun athlete comes from the Greek word athletes, meaning “contestant in the games.” Anyone who competes in sporting competitions can be called an athlete, but usually the term is reserved for people with a high level of dedication, skill and fitness. If your income comes from participating in your sport, you are a professional athlete.
Vocabulary lists containing athlete
List 1
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A Soccer and a Football Special
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for August 28–September 3, 2021
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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.
When an athlete is supported to move in a way that suits their structure, their strength profile and their natural rhythm, performance accelerates.
From Science Daily • Apr. 8, 2026
The collaboration follows Reese’s runway debut at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in October, where she was the first professional athlete ever to walk the show.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026
An athlete or coach might “throw” a game for personal gain.
From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026
If you run across a professional athlete, pose for a photo standing right next to him, beta-smiling in admiration, and post it on social media.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026
Because there were so few Muslim women on the professional sports circuit, I was an inspiration for a lot of people, especially as the first professional athlete from the United States who also wears hijab.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.