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

• 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.

Example Sentences

The final decision on whether the four athletes could compete in Milan-Cortina was taken by the IOC's Individual Neutral Athlete Eligibility Review Panel.

From BBC • Feb. 4, 2026

In high school, I was named Female Track & Field Athlete of the Year three years in a row by my school’s coaching staff.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 14, 2026

“When you’ve collected everything, that’s Thanos,” Wilson said to Time, which named her the outlet’s Athlete of the Year on Tuesday.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 10, 2025

McDonald wants his team to focus on the Mindful Athlete: goal-oriented, active people who mix and match athletic and lifestyle apparel.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 29, 2025

We cheered when Joe Louis, who was known as the Brown Bomber, was named the Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson

Related Words

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