esports

American  

[ee-spawrts] / ˈiˌspɔrts /

Or e-sports

noun

1. (usually used with a plural verb) competitive tournaments of video games, especially among professional gamers.

2. (used with a singular verb) esport, a video game suited to or popular in this kind of tournament.

---

adjective

1. of or relating to esports.

   an esports event;

   esports gambling.

Etymology

Origin of esports

First recorded in 1995–2000; e- ² (electronic) + sports

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

esports

She says: "We're definitely not training them to be professional players, I don't think any esports degree in this country does that."

From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026

However, while it remains a leader in gaming and esports, Twitch's share of the overall live streaming market is being steadily eroded by YouTube Live, TikTok Live and a direct competitor, Kick.

From Barron's ● May 30, 2026

After DeepMind’s AlphaGo computer program defeated world champion Lee Sedol in 2016, the lab set its sights on the game “StarCraft II” — widely deemed one of the hardest esports ever.

From MarketWatch ● May 23, 2026

“I felt like I was on stage in a normal esports event. You could really feel the electricity and how tense it was being up there.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 13, 2026

“It’s one of the few sports or esports where the community actively feels involved in helping prepare the team to compete,” Smith said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 20, 2026