athlete
noun
ath·lete
ˈath-ˌlēt 
nonstandard
ˈa-thə-ˌlēt
1
: a person who is trained or skilled in exercises, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility, or stamina
2
: an animal (such as a horse or a dog) that competes in races or other sporting events or has qualities (such as stamina and agility) suggestive of a human athlete
Hospice working dogs were wiry, muscular, agile, yellowish-tan or brown athletes with unexaggerated heads …—
Deborah Lawson
Deborah LawsonExamples of athlete in a Sentence
Athletes from around the world will be competing at the Olympics.
She was quite an athlete as a child.
Recent Examples on the Web
Other female athletes are dominating their sports’ center stage.
—Alexandra York, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
Mickelson and McIlroy may not agree on everything, but elite athletes respect each other.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Apr. 2025
In a world where college athletes are university employees, athletes could be contractually bound to remain at a school.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 13 Apr. 2025
Another administrator criticized the idea of any transfer restrictions, warning with college sports creating a transfer portal that allows athletes to switch freely every season, high school sports would be falling behind in the changing environment.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for athlete
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Alexandra York, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
Mickelson and McIlroy may not agree on everything, but elite athletes respect each other.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Apr. 2025
In a world where college athletes are university employees, athletes could be contractually bound to remain at a school.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 13 Apr. 2025
Another administrator criticized the idea of any transfer restrictions, warning with college sports creating a transfer portal that allows athletes to switch freely every season, high school sports would be falling behind in the changing environment.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for athlete
Cite this Entry
“Athlete.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/athlete. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
athlete
noun
ath·lete
ˈath-ˌlēt
: a person who is trained in or good at games and exercises that require physical skill, endurance, and strength
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