athletic
[ ath-let-ik ]
/ æθˈlɛt ɪk /
|
adjective
physically active and strong; good at athletics or sports: an athletic child.
of, like, or befitting an athlete.
of or relating to athletes; involving the use of physical skills or capabilities, as strength, agility, or stamina: athletic sports; athletic training.
for athletics: an athletic field.
Psychology. (of a physical type) having a sturdy build or well-proportioned body structure.Compare asthenic(def 2), pyknic(def 1).
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Nearby words
- athirst,
- athleisure,
- athlete,
- athlete's foot,
- athlete's heart,
- athletic heart,
- athletic shoe,
- athletic support,
- athletic supporter,
- athleticism
Origin of athletic
Pronunciation note
See athlete.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for non-athletic
Her sister Ellen is of an opposite temperament, pale, slight, and non-athletic.
Essays on Modern Novelists|William Lyon Phelps
athletic
/ (æθˈlɛtɪk) /
adjective
physically fit or strong; muscular or active
of, relating to, or suitable for an athlete or for athletics
of or relating to a person with a muscular and well-proportioned bodySee also somatotype
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
athletic
1630s (athletical is from 1590s), "pertaining to an athlete," from Latin athleticus, from Greek athletikos, from athletes (see athlete). Meaning "strong of body; vigorous; lusty; robust" [Johnson, who spells it athletick] is from 1650s.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper