athlete

American  

[ath-leet] / ˈæθ lit /

noun

1. 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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athlete British  

/ ˈæθliːt /

noun

1. a person trained to compete in sports or exercises involving physical strength, speed, or endurance

2. a person who has a natural aptitude for physical activities

3. a competitor in track and field events

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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

Derived Forms

• superathlete
  noun
• nonathlete
  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.

Example Sentences

I can’t think of a NYC athlete turnaround like it—except maybe for KAT’s teammate, Mikal Bridges, who was even more criticized than Towns.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026

A high-school athlete, she had ups and downs with body image and food after having two children, and buying new clothes for herself wasn’t a favorite exercise.

From Salon • Jun. 3, 2026

A Paralympic athlete died "in an accident waiting to happen" when a metal bar fell on him, a sentencing hearing at the Old Bailey has been told.

From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026

AB is a reluctant transgender athlete pioneer who prefers to be known for so much more than just her gender identity, but the prospect of hiding because she was relentlessly attacked didn’t feel right, either.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2026

And as the United States’ first athlete to compete at the games in hijab, I received a lot of additional media requests for interviews by myself.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad

Related Words

• animal
• competitor
• contestant
• jock
• player
• professional
• sport