Olympian
Americanadjective
noun
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Olympians
plural
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an Olympian deity.
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a contender in the Olympic Games.
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a native or inhabitant of Olympia.
adjective
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of or relating to Mount Olympus or to the classical Greek gods
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majestic or godlike in manner or bearing
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superior to mundane considerations, esp when impractical
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of or relating to ancient Olympia or its inhabitants
noun
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a god of Olympus
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an inhabitant or native of ancient Olympia
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a competitor in the Olympic Games
Usage
What does olympian mean? An olympian is an athlete who competes (or has competed) in the Olympic Games (popularly called the Olympics), an international athletic competition featuring multiple sporting events between athletes representing their country. The word is often capitalized. There are two related but separate events called the Olympics: one hosted in winter, called the Winter Games, and one hosted in summer, called the Summer Games (they are commonly called the Winter Olympics and the Summer Olympics). The Winter Olympics feature winter sports, including figure skating, skiing, snowboarding, ice hockey, and many others. The Summer Olympics feature traditionally warm weather and indoor sports, like track and field, gymnastics, swimming, and basketball, among many others. At the Olympics, the Olympians who finish in the top three places in each event are famously awarded Olympic medals: gold for first place, silver for second place, and bronze for third place. Olympians are often considered the best athletes in the world, and winning a medal—or simply being an olympian—is considered one of the peaks of athletic achievement. The modern Olympics are based on an ancient Greek festival and competition that’s also referred to as the Olympic Games, and competitors in these games are also referred to as olympians. Especially when it’s capitalized, the word Olympian can also be used in reference to the gods of Greek mythology, who were believed to inhabit Mount Olympus. It can be used as a noun referring to one of the gods or as an adjective to describe things involving them or resembling them. Sometimes, it’s used more generally to mean about the same thing as majestic.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of Olympian
1585–95; < Late Latin Olympiānus, equivalent to Latin Olympi ( us ) (< Greek Olýmpios, derivative of Ólympos Olympus ) + -ānus -an
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.
See Examples For:
Among those in attendance at the funeral in Portaferry, County Down, were Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O'Neill, as well as fellow Olympian Rhys McClenaghan and 1972 gold medallist Lady Mary Peters.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
Former European champion and two-time Olympian Ciara Mageean has died at the age of 34.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026
Among their teammates at college was Dawn Staley, the Hall of Famer and Olympian who coaches the University of South Carolina.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
A number of civil lawsuits have been filed against shoe manufacturers by track stars, including an Olympian, who allege, among other things, that wearing high-stack shoes with carbon plates caused injuries that derailed their careers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026
Poseidon strode over to his fishing seat, and the Olympian Council convened.
From "The Last Olympian" by Rick Riordan
So is this the end of the road for one of Britain's greatest Olympians, or can he turn the tide in time for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028?
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
The IOC aims for the application process for 2026 Olympians to be open at the end of this year, with the first payments being made in 2027.
From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026
From 1904 to 1912, winning Olympians received solid-gold medals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026
Hip-hop legend Flavor Flav is hosting a four-day event celebrating “ALL Female US Olympians and Paralympian medalists” this summer in Las Vegas.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 27, 2026
The Olympians were reluctant to try to free him by force.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
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