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:
The about-face also could provide an avenue for three-time Olympian David Hearn and other defendants to sue the government and press for sanctions against the prosecutors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
Former Olympian David Hearn, 67, was arrested and charged with felony vandalism, which could have seen him jailed for a decade.
From Barron's ● Aug. 1, 2026
Olympian David Hearn after concluding that damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was caused by a flawed renovation rather than vandalism.
From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2026
Former US Olympian David 'Davey' Hearn has pleaded not guilty to vandalising the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool at a court appearance in Washington DC.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
All I managed to get out of challenge the Olympian gods.
From "The Battle of the Labyrinth" 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
A group of current and former British Olympians and Paralympians have backed a proposed north of England bid to host the Games, claiming it has "a passion for sport like no other place".
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026
These were Olympians born long, long after Lake Placid—many were babies and toddlers when the Kurt Russell movie came out.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 22, 2026
Knight and Bowe are not the only American Olympians whose love story has been in the spotlight.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 19, 2026
All the Library Olympians followed and clomped up the metal steps.
From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein
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.
