sportsman

American  

[spawrts-muhn, spohrts-] / ˈspɔrts mən, ˈspoʊrts- /

noun

sportsmen plural

1. a man who engages in sports, especially in some open-air sport, as hunting, fishing, racing, etc.

2. a person who exhibits qualities especially esteemed in those who engage in sports, as fairness, courtesy, good temper, etc.

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sportsman British  

/ ˈspɔːtsmən /

noun

1. a man who takes part in sports, esp of the outdoor type

2. a person who exhibits qualities highly regarded in sport, such as fairness, generosity, observance of the rules, and good humour when losing

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Gender

See -man.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• sportsmanliness
  noun
• sportsmanship
  noun
• sportsman-like
  adjective
• sportsmanlike
  adjective
• sportsmanly
  adjective
• unsportsmanlike
  adjective
• unsportsmanly
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• sportsmen
  plural

Etymology

Origin of sportsman

First recorded in 1700–10; sports + -man

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sportsman sportsmen

But I lead a great life and I use my coping mechanisms from being an international sportsman.

From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2026

Former Manchester United and England star David Beckham has become Britain's first billionaire sportsman, according to the 2026 Sunday Times Rich List.

From Barron's ● May 15, 2026

Former England captain Sir David Beckham has become the UK's first billionaire sportsman in the 2026 Sunday Times Rich List.

From BBC ● May 15, 2026

“A lot of people paint me as a moderate because I’m a sportsman and I have a deer rifle and I go duck hunting and stuff like that.”

From Salon ● Oct. 6, 2025

For the shortest second, the boys thought Flux had given up and taken the lost race like a good sportsman.

From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles

Heraskevych insisted he would continue to wear the helmet, which carries pictures of Ukrainian sportsmen and women killed since Russian forces invaded Ukraine in 2022, during the men's skeleton heats on Thursday.

From Barron's ● Feb. 12, 2026

“For centuries these rugged but elegant athletes have been the pride of Hungarian sportsmen, and their popularity in America increases with each passing year,” according to the American Kennel Club.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2025

Those sportsmen brought dissent where it needed to be heard: in the face of power, during their brightest moments, at risk to their livelihoods.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 4, 2025

She admits it was a lonely time, but she found support from two sportsmen who had been through similar experiences.

From BBC ● Feb. 19, 2025

Even today, fine footballers and baseball players and runners and all other great sportsmen are much admired by the general public and advertisers use them to sell breakfast cereals.

From "Boy: Tales of a Childhood" by Roald Dahl