gamesmanship

noun

games·​man·​ship ˈgāmz-mən-ˌship How to pronounce gamesmanship (audio)
1
: the art or practice of winning games by questionable expedients without actually violating the rules
2
: the use of ethically dubious methods to gain an objective

Examples of gamesmanship in a Sentence

They blur the line between gamesmanship and cheating. that author doesn't go in for literary gamesmanship, so the reader is never led astray by the novel's narrator
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Psychologist Susan Cain, in Quiet, says introverts thrive in solitude, delivering their best work without the social stimulus overload of open offices and needing to play political gamesmanship. Jack Kelly, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025 The characters surrounding Matt embody that gamesmanship. Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 26 Mar. 2025 No smear campaign or political gamesmanship will ever change that. Naperville Sun, Chicago Tribune, 24 Mar. 2025 The current law promotes dangerous gamesmanship and undermines the integrity of our criminal justice system. Morgan Bitton, New York Daily News, 23 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for gamesmanship

Word History

Etymology

games, plural of game entry 1 + -manship (after sportsmanship)

Note: A word popularized and probably originated in this sense by the British author Stephen Potter (1900-69) in The Theory and Practice of Gamesmanship (1947).

First Known Use

1947, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of gamesmanship was in 1947

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Cite this Entry

“Gamesmanship.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gamesmanship. Accessed 19 Apr. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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