athletic
Americanadjective
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physically active and strong; good at athletics or sports.
an athletic child.
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of, like, or befitting an athlete.
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of or relating to athletes; involving the use of physical skills or capabilities, as strength, agility, or stamina: athletic training.
athletic sports;
athletic training.
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for athletics.
an athletic field.
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Psychology. (of a physical type) having a sturdy build or well-proportioned body structure.
adjective
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physically fit or strong; muscular or active
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of, relating to, or suitable for an athlete or for athletics
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of or relating to a person with a muscular and well-proportioned body See also somatotype
Pronunciation
See athlete.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of athletic
First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin āthlēticus, from Greek āthlētikós; see athlete, -ic
Explanation
If you're athletic, you have a natural talent for sports and fitness. You might jump nonstop through a strenuous aerobics class, then go run a few miles, and top it off shooting hoops with the basketball team. If you're a champion speed skater, you've most definitely got an athletic build, and while skinny jeans may not look so great on you, you probably look pretty good in running shorts. You know the ancient Greeks loved athletic competitions — after all, they invented the Olympics. Fittingly enough, the word athletic goes back to the Greek word athlein, meaning "to compete for a prize."
Vocabulary lists containing athletic
Strong
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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.
The central role of the promoter — and the lack of genuine athletic competition in matches — puts wrestlers and management on remarkably unequal footing.
From Salon ● Oct. 2, 2026
Andrew Hernandez, president of the Metro Baseball Academy, shared email exchanges and invoices dating to July demonstrating that the academy had been paying for its use of the athletic fields.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
The findings add to decades of research investigating creatine for purposes beyond athletic performance.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 30, 2026
The bill has the support of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and major athletic conferences, and has advanced further than any other similar legislation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
Dr. Newman is known for being pleasant, especially to people who give money to our school for things like athletic fields and greenhouses.
From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina
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.
