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.

"North Carolina decided to roll the dice and invest a lot of money in its football program," said Greg Barnes, senior reporter at Inside Carolina, a website dedicated to North Carolina University sports.

From BBC

Concerns first emerged in October about the behaviour of members of the Cardiff University sports team during an initiation event at a pub in the city.

From BBC

The new location will act as a home base for the Ringer, its media brand focused on sports and pop culture.

From Los Angeles Times

Figures from around the sports world have weighed in on the situation in Minneapolis.

From Los Angeles Times

Many leaders in tennis are fully aware how it must adapt and thrive in an ever-competitive sports market.

From BBC

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