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View synonyms for

athlete

[ ath-leet ]

noun

  1. a person trained or gifted in exercises or contests involving physical agility, stamina, or strength; a participant in a sport, exercise, or game requiring physical skill.


athlete

/ ˈæθː /

noun

  1. a person trained to compete in sports or exercises involving physical strength, speed, or endurance
  2. a person who has a natural aptitude for physical activities
  3. a competitor in track and field events
“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
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Pronunciation Note

Athlete, athletic, and athletics, normally pronounced [ath, -leet], [ath-, let, -ik], and [ath-, let, -iks], are heard frequently with an epenthetic schwa, an intrusive unstressed vowel inserted between the first and second syllables: [ath, -, uh, -leet], [ath-, uh, -, let, -ik], and [ath-, uh, -, let, -iks]. The pronunciations containing the extra syllable are usually considered nonstandard, in spite of their widespread use on radio and television. Pronunciations with similarly intrusive vowels are also heard, though with less currency, for other words, as [fil, -, uh, m] for film, [el, -, uh, m] for elm, and [ahr-th, uh, -, rahy, -tis] for arthritis, rather than the standard [film], [elm], and [ahr-, thrahy, -tis].
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Other Word Forms

  • ԴDz·ٳlٱ noun
  • p·ٳlٱ noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of athlete1

1520–30; < Latin ٳŧٲ < Greek ٳŧḗs, equivalent to ٳŧ- (variant stem of ٳî to contend for a prize, derivative of âٳDz a contest) + suffix of agency
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Word History and Origins

Origin of athlete1

C18: from Latin via Greek ٳŧŧ, from athlein to compete for a prize, from athlos a contest
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

As the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani has taken the profile of Japanese athletes to dizzying heights in Southern California, that’s created an opening for soccer players to stand up and stand out as well.

From

Power is not a professional athlete herself and her real passion is for other women and girls who had been like her.

From

It should be no surprise that Yee, an athlete obsessed with the process of improvement as much as the success it brings, has relished this new challenge.

From

In New Jersey, a federal judge is believed to be considering a preliminary injunction in a case that challenges the NCAA’s rules regarding athletes completing their eligibility within a five-year window.

From

In February, seven Chileans were charged with conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property after they allegedly broke in and stole valuables worth more than $2 million from the homes of professional athletes.

From

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athleisureathlete's foot