sporting

American  

[spawr-ting, spohr-] / ˈspɔr tɪŋ, ˈspoʊr- /

adjective

1. engaging in, disposed to, or interested in open-air or athletic sports.

   a rugged, sporting man.

2. concerned with or suitable for such sports.

   sporting equipment.

3. sportsmanlike.

4. interested in or connected with sports or pursuits involving betting or gambling.

   the sporting life of Las Vegas.

5. involving or inducing the taking of risk, as in a sport.

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sporting British  

/ ˈspɔːtɪŋ /

adjective

1. (prenominal) of, relating to, or used or engaged in a sport or sports

   several sporting interests

2. relating or conforming to sportsmanship; fair

3. of, relating to, or characterized by an interest in gambling

4. willing to take a risk

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unsporting
  adjective
• sportingly
  adverb
• nonsportingly
  adverb
• nonsporting
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of sporting

First recorded in 1590–1600; sport + -ing ²

Example Sentences

But most of the prediction-market growth has been tied to betting on sporting events.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 2, 2026

When Brian Rizzo went to the 1994 World Cup as a teenager, it opened his eyes to the power of the planet’s largest sporting event.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026

A legal statement which UK Athletics produced years after the incident was described by the prosecutor as '"a deeply unworthy document by a national sporting body and one of which it should be ashamed".

From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026

The games, the largest sporting event in U.S. history, have been classified as a national security event, meaning federal law enforcement can deploy its most extensive security measures under the Department of Homeland Security umbrella.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2026

Now in the whole town there was interest and discussion about this sporting event, but the most interesting question of all and the one that bothered the whole town was never spoken of.

From "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck