athlete
noun
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.
athletes
-
pluralof athlete.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
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.
To win in girls’ flag football, you need your school’s best athletes to come out.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026
Historically, former athletes running for office lean Republican.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026
Beginning with a group of around 70 competitors in 2007, Mr. Glassman invited athletes to compete annually in a variety of fitness categories.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026
A total of 1.5m athletes took part during the 2025/26 season - up from 650,000 the year before - with participation projected to surpass 2m in the current season.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
It’s applied indiscriminately to professional athletes, lottery winners, and kids who clean up at spelling bees.
From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner
