athleticism

American  

[ath-let-uh-siz-uhm] / æθˈlɛt əˌsɪz əm /

noun

athleticisms plural

1. a high degree of natural talent, strength, or enthusiasm in physical sports or exercises.

   Yoga should be accessible to all people regardless of body type, level of athleticism, or age.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• athleticisms
  plural

Etymology

Origin of athleticism

athletic ( def. ) + -ism ( def. )

Explanation

Athleticism is the quality of having the kind of strength and energy that makes a great athlete. It takes athleticism to run marathons, play pro football, or sprint down a cobblestone street in high heels without falling. Athleticism might get you a basketball scholarship to college or help you win most of the tennis matches you play. When you're particularly good at a sport, people will praise your athleticism. Although it’s usually used with sports, athleticism can describe any quality of strength and energy. It takes musical athleticism to play Ravel’s Gaspard de la nuit on piano. The word is rooted in the Greek athlētēs, "prizefighter or contestant in the games."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

athleticism athleticisms

In general, however, this World Cup was a feast of high-stakes athleticism and tribalism that really only gets matched in this country by the best college football rivalries and maybe March Madness.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

But Carr fits the bill with his athleticism and length.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2026

At nine, I was impressed with my father’s athleticism as he scooped up my little brother during the pyrotechnics, as well as the colorful chaos itself.

From Salon ● Jul. 3, 2026

Messi's incredible ability with the ball at his feet has helped compensate for any lost athleticism over the years.

From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026

He made his way up to the promenade deck, where he found a riot of athleticism unfolding.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

“We’re very grounded. And adding a little Fred Astaire class on top of the gritty athleticisms, to combine it with the complete opposite, is confusing to the eye and that’s what makes it interesting.”

From Washington Post ● May 26, 2015

If the climate of England is as little favorable to a strenuous intellectual life as it is to strenuous athleticisms, the climate of Oxford is the climate of England to the nth power.

From An American at Oxford by Corbin, John