sportswoman

American  

[spawrts-woom-uhn, spohrts-] / ˈspɔrtsˌwʊm ən, ˈspoʊrts- /

noun

plural

sportswomen

1. a woman who engages in sports. sports.

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sportswoman British  

/ ˈspɔːtsˌwʊmən /

noun

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

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Gender

See -woman.

Etymology

Origin of sportswoman

First recorded in 1745–55; sports + -woman

Example Sentences

One measure of her global name recognition is that she was the fourth highest-paid sportswoman in the world last year, according to Forbes, the vast majority of that earned away from the slopes in endorsements.

From Barron's • Feb. 18, 2026

Outside politics, Connolly is a passionate Irish speaker and a keen sportswoman who ran marathons and played badminton competitively in her younger years.

From BBC • Nov. 7, 2025

Gonzalez, who refers to herself a single mom, animal rights defender and sportswoman, has repeatedly evoked Correa's popular health, education and security policies and pledged to "recover the homeland."

From Reuters • Aug. 17, 2023

LSU stars Angel Reese and Alexis Morris, both nominated for sportswoman of the year, led their school to its first-ever women’s basketball championship in April.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 8, 2023

"Miss Baker's a great sportswoman, you know, and she'd never do anything that wasn't all right."

From " The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald