sportsman

[ spawrts-muhn, spohrts- ]
See synonyms for: sportsmansportsmanlikesportsmanly on Thesaurus.com

noun,plural sports·men.
  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.

Origin of sportsman

1
First recorded in 1700–10; sports + -man

usage note For sportsman

See -man.

Other words from sportsman

  • sports·man·like, sports·man·ly, adjective
  • sports·man·li·ness, noun
  • un·sports·man·like, adjective
  • un·sports·man·ly, adjective, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use sportsman in a sentence

  • 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.

  • 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) /


nounplural -men
  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

Derived forms of sportsman

  • sportsman-like or sportsmanly, adjective
  • sportsmanship, 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