stamina

¹ American  

[stam-uh-nuh] / ˈstæm ə nə /

noun

1. strength of physical constitution; power to endure disease, fatigue, privation, etc.

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stamina ² American  

[stam-uh-nuh] / ˈstæm ə nə /

noun

1. a plural of stamen.

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stamina ¹ British  

/ ˈstæmɪnə /

noun

1. enduring energy, strength, and resilience

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stamina ² British  

/ ˈstæmɪnə /

noun

1. a plural of stamen

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Usage

What does stamina mean? Stamina is endurance—the strength or energy to keep going, even when tired or facing other unfavorable conditions. The word is most commonly used in the context of sports to refer to the ability to continue performing despite fatigue. Athletes train to improve their stamina. Stamina is also the plural form of the word stamen, which is the part of a flower that produces pollen. Interestingly, both senses of the word are based on the same Latin root. Example: A lot of players are fast and strong, but it’s the ones who have worked to increase their stamina who are most effective at the end of a long game.

Other Word Forms

• staminal adjective

Etymology

Origin of stamina

1535–45; < Latin, plural of stāmen thread ( stamen ); i.e., the life-threads spun by the Fates

Explanation

If you can run for a really long time, or carry a heavy box a really long way, you have stamina. Stamina is staying power or enduring strength. Stamina is not always related to physical strength and endurance. Solving a difficult puzzle or a complex problem requires your brain to work long and hard, something called mental stamina. If you have had a really tough year, but are doing generally fine, someone might say you have emotional stamina. It can also mean "perseverance." Do you have the stamina to learn this word?

Example Sentences

But investing and saving in a slow and steady manner requires human qualities that are always easy to sustain: patience, stamina, a work/life balance and resisting the call of wild consumerism.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 19, 2026

Her stamina impresses her manager, Greg, a gruff gay man who tells her about the gay club in town, where she meets Tina, the woman who teaches her acceptance through unconditional love.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026

Burton had previously apologized to Battle’s family in a public letter where he acknowledged that it took him a long time and stamina to admit his role in the robbery.

From Slate • Mar. 6, 2026

One important standard that doesn’t change before voters choose a chief executive is whether he has the depth, stamina, and sturdiness of “presidential timber.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

For another two months he didn't have the strength and stamina to do any of the strenuous physical labor his previous jobs required.

From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow

Related Words

• endurance
• energy
• fortitude
• grit
• resilience
• staying power
• vitality