sportsman

[ spawrts-muhn, spohrts- ]

/ ˈspɔrts mən, ˈspoʊrts- /

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See synonyms for: sportsman / sportsmanlike / sportsmanly on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural sports·men.

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

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

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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

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Origin of sportsman

First recorded in 1700–10; sports + -man

usage note for sportsman

See -man.

OTHER WORDS FROM sportsman

sports·man·like, sports·man·ly, adjectivesports·man·li·ness, nounun·sports·man·like, adjectiveun·sports·man·ly, adjective, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use sportsman in a sentence

You are a model for sportsmen, disabled and abled bodied sportsmen, all over the world?
Pistorius Prosecutor: ‘Say I Shot And Killed Her!’|Kelly Berold|April 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The basketball sneaker has a long and lucrative history, especially for the sportsmen who become the brands' ambassadors.
How Sneaker Culture Conquered the World|William O’Connor|March 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He worked helping disabled people in America and did sports, coached other sportsmen.
Ibragim Todashev’s Father: My Son Was Innocent|Anna Nemtsova|May 24, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The King is the first name listed under the heading “30 Years of Friends and Sportsmen.”
Spanish Royals Under Fire|Mike Elkin|April 16, 2012|DAILY BEAST

We rarely get hysterical about the weight qualifications required of male sportsmen.
What's Wrong With Skinny?|Lisa Hilton|February 8, 2010|DAILY BEAST
The sportsmen were busy loading when Tom became aware, for one instant, that something was moving in the air.
Hunting the Lions|R.M. Ballantyne
This being arranged, the sportsmen dismounted, fastened their horses to trees, and separated.
Hunting the Lions|R.M. Ballantyne
However, I returned well pleased from my ride, and found my young sportsmen not less pleased with their morning's ramble.
Journal of a Voyage to Brazil|Maria Graham
As the day approached the excitement became intense; yachtsmen and sportsmen flocked to New York from all parts of the country.
Yachting Vol. 2|Various.
This weapon is prohibitive on account of its recoil, and few, if any, sportsmen now care to carry one.
In Africa|John T. McCutcheon

British Dictionary definitions for sportsman

sportsman

/ (ˈspɔːtsmən) /

noun plural -men

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

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

Derived forms of sportsman

sportsman-like or sportsmanly, adjectivesportsmanship, noun

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

sportsman

Origin of sportsman

usage note for sportsman

OTHER WORDS FROM sportsman

Words related to sportsman

How to use sportsman in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for sportsman

Derived forms of sportsman