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.

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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

“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

In this race, a team of esports athletes stare forward at a screen instead of the starting line.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 20, 2026

In January, she made her first appearance as a commentator at a major esports event.

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026

"We're stepping things up a lot for 2026 with China coming aboard," said Francois-Xavier Deniele, head of marketing and esports for the franchise.

From Barron's • Feb. 13, 2026

“Putting in a prompt and saying ‘Draw me this’ doesn’t feel right to me,” said Leo, who is studying esports management.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 31, 2026