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

Initiatives include massive investments in soccer, tennis and esports in addition to golf.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

Beyond the emotional toll, losing partial vision has robbed Castellanos of a potentially lucrative career in esports, according to Pedram Esfandiary, one of his attorneys.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 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

You can pick a green blob, a buff, tattooed Zane, gamer girl Kira or even virtual versions of real people such as the esports star Faker.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 11, 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