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Pilates

American

[pi-lah-teez] / pɪˈlɑ tiz /

noun

(used with a singular verb)

a system of physical conditioning involving low-impact exercises and stretches designed to strengthen muscles of the torso and often performed with specialized equipment.

Pilates British

/ pɪˈlɑːtiːz /

noun

a system of gentle exercise performed lying down that stretches and lengthens the muscles, designed to improve posture, flexibility, etc

"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

Etymology

Origin of Pilates

Named after Joseph Pilates (1883–1967), German fitness instructor

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.

She said she regrets not exercising and now does Pilates once a week.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026

Statistics show that the amount of Reformer Pilates businesses in the UK rose by nearly 1,000 per cent between 2024 and 2025.

From BBC • May 4, 2026

Fresh from a Pilates class in the church hall, Lise Gothard, 54, says there is "a lot of talk" online about anti-social behaviour in the Hamptons.

From BBC • May 1, 2026

I do a mix of strength training, so I’m lifting weights three days a week and the other two days a week I do reformer Pilates with a trainer, which I really love.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

She’s inside having coffee with Mom, who, embarrassingly, is in her Pilates clothes for her class later today.

From "How to Disappear Completely" by Ali Standish

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023