gamesmanship
Americannoun
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the use of methods, especially in a sports contest, that are dubious or seemingly improper but not strictly illegal.
-
the technique or practice of manipulating people or events so as to gain an advantage or outwit one's opponents or competitors.
noun
Other Word Forms
- gamesman noun
Etymology
Origin of gamesmanship
1945–50; game 1 + -s 3 + -manship, perhaps on the model of sportsmanship
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In most other sports, that would have been considered gamesmanship.
From Los Angeles Times
I ask whether he considers gamesmanship or even dirty tactics, such as those that Michael Schumacher faced accusations of at times.
From BBC
"It's a bit of gamesmanship," Schmidt said on Saturday evening, before defending his team's record.
From BBC
“While a truce is likely….both sides are engaging in gamesmanship,” wrote the pair.
From Barron's
But Bruce Springsteen and the raw, stripped-down recordings of his 1982 “Nebraska” album seem earnestly in opposition to such artless gamesmanship.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
