athletic

[ath-let-ik]

adjective

1. physically active and strong; good at athletics or sports.

   an athletic child.

2. of, like, or befitting an athlete.

3. of or relating to athletes; involving the use of physical skills or capabilities, as strength, agility, or stamina: athletic training.

   athletic sports;

   athletic training.

4. for athletics.

   an athletic field.

5. Psychology.,  (of a physical type) having a sturdy build or well-proportioned body structure.

athletic

/ æθˈlɛtɪk /

adjective

1. physically fit or strong; muscular or active

2. of, relating to, or suitable for an athlete or for athletics

3. of or relating to a person with a muscular and well-proportioned body See also somatotype

Pronunciation Note

See athlete.

Other Word Forms

• athleticism noun
• athletically adverb
• nonathletic adjective
• nonathletically adverb
• quasi-athletic adjective
• quasi-athletically adverb
• unathletic adjective
• unathletically adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of athletic¹

First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin āthlēticus, from Greek āthlētikós; athlete, -ic

Example Sentences

Beneath the towering, neon-lit billboards of Times Square, six of the world's top long jumpers are soaring through the air, turning one of New York's most iconic streets into an unlikely athletics stage.

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Spending on athletic apparel also ticked down slightly, despite still being a strong trend.

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Activities that keep minds sharp don’t require athletic prowess—they require consistency.

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He was so precociously good that when he was 13, Doncic’s mother, Mirjam Poterbin, took her son to Spain to enroll in an athletic academy that would change his life: Real Madrid.

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It’s a constant conundrum of global athletic events, pursued as chalices by complicated hosts.

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Related Words

• active 
• energetic 
• muscular 
• powerful 
• robust 
• strong 
• vigorous