sports

American

[spawrts, spohrts] / spɔrts, spoʊrts /

adjective

of or relating to a sport or sports, especially of the open-air or athletic kind.

a sports festival.
(of garments, equipment, etc.) suitable for use in open-air sports or for outdoor or informal use.

sports British

/ spɔːts /

noun

(modifier) relating to, concerned with, or used in sports

sports equipment
(modifier) relating to or similar to a sports car

sports seats
Also called: sports day. a meeting held at a school or college for competitions in various athletic events

"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 sports

First recorded in 1910–15; sport + -s ³

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.

China used to be one of Nike’s most lucrative markets, but its “two billion feet” are running from the U.S. sports giant.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026

Boro owner Steve Gibson has engaged the services of Nick de Marco, the sports lawyer with a record of delivering results against the game's governing bodies.

From BBC • May 19, 2026

Workers at the world's most expensive sports arena say that an ICE presence would create a climate of fear — for themselves and for fans.

From Barron's • May 18, 2026

At a school that excels in many different sports, the Wolverines rose to the top.

From Los Angeles Times • May 17, 2026

Downstairs they exited the building into a small employee parking lot and headed straight for a sports car that looked like it belonged in a James Bond movie.

From "City Spies" by James Ponti

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