sportsmanship

[ spawrts-muhn-ship, spohrts- ]

noun

1. the character, practice, or skill of a sportsman.
2. sportsmanlike conduct, as fairness, courtesy, being a cheerful loser, etc.

Word History and Origins

Origin of sportsmanship¹

First recorded in 1735–45; sportsman + -ship

Example Sentences

If the roller-coaster Tokyo 2020 Olympics did anything, they stoked our enthusiasm for the return of global sports with their rivalries, upsets, superhuman athletic feats, and moments of sportsmanship that can make a rugby player cry.

From Outside Online

Depending on where you sat, it was either the ultimate display of Olympic sportsmanship, or further proof that competition-averse millennials are ruining everything.

From Outside Online

A paternal figure to his players, he cares more about teamwork and good sportsmanship than winning.

From Time

The article said “a lot of teams would slap a fine on a player who was sucker enough to bite on it,” making it unclear if the problem was about sportsmanship or strategy.

From FiveThirtyEight

Chara — who missed only one game this season and played the 1,600th game of his career in April — was nominated for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which is awarded for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.

From Washington Post

Kessenich, to be fair, has also lavished the Iroquois with praise for their skills and sportsmanship in subsequent games.

From The Daily Beast

Impeccable sportsmanship of children at school matches is legendary.

From The Daily Beast

But JFK backed down when Cronkite called it “the lousiest bit of sportsmanship I ever saw in my life.”

From The Daily Beast

Sportsmanship, sheer sportsmanship, carried him through all!

From Project Gutenberg

I'm sure the Cassylians don't want to advertise their bad sportsmanship so there won't be anything as crude as a roadblock.

From Project Gutenberg

The barbarian culture shows sportsmanship, status, and anthropomorphism.

From Project Gutenberg

There is also a livelier sense of honor—an expression of sportsmanship and a derivative of predatory life.

From Project Gutenberg

With such a spirit as is displayed in this letter the sportsmanship of the Pacific coast is bound to thrive.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• fairness
• honesty
• sincerity
• virtue