athlete
/ˈæθ.lit/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: 4.11 in modern English
10
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A participant in any of a group of sporting activities including track and field, road running, cross country running and racewalking.
noun
A person who actively participates in physical sports, especially with great skill; a sportsperson.
Canadian usage; American usage
noun
Example Sentences
- "She's the first athlete in her sport to obtain a corporate sponsor."
- "Athletes' use of herbal supplements has skyrocketed in the past two decades. At the top of the list of popular herbs are echinacea and ginseng, whereas garlic, St. John's wort, soybean, ephedra and others are also surging in popularity or have been historically prevalent."
Etymology
From Middle English athlete, from Latin āthlēta (and probably also partly from Middle French athlete), from Ancient Greek ἀθλητής (athlētḗs), from ἀθλέω (athléō, “compete for a prize”), from ἆθλον (âthlon, “prize”) or ἆθλος (âthlos, “competition”).
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈæθ.lit/
- British English: /ˈæθ.liːt/
Usage
Subject
Wiktionary places this term in Sports.