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

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

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026

This year's busy esports season for "Siege" follows on from last year's revamp of its systems and graphics, which "laid the foundations for the 10 years ahead," he added.

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

More recently the game has grown in popularity in the esports community, with players across the world competing in official and fan-run tournaments.

From BBC • Nov. 11, 2025

PIF established its own unit known as Savvy Games Group in 2021 to build out a more robust portfolio of acquisitions and investments in gaming and esports businesses.

From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 26, 2025