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
professional athletes
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
At 41, Cristiano Ronaldo is still one of the most popular athletes in the world and even if his presence on the Portuguese national team is cause for international debate, a player like Folarin Balogun has no place in any paragraph with Ronaldo.
—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 July 2026
Follow your favorite athletes on and off the field with PEOPLE’s free sports newsletter — sign up now!
—
Anna Lazarus Caplan,
PEOPLE,
7 July 2026
There generally is no need to proceed with more intensive cardiac screening tests that people hear about for athletes at the professional or high-level collegiate sports level.
—
Nicole Williams,
AJC.com,
6 July 2026
It's made for true athletes and generally active folks alike.
—
Kelsey Fogarty,
PC Magazine,
6 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for athlete
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Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 July 2026
Follow your favorite athletes on and off the field with PEOPLE’s free sports newsletter — sign up now!
—
Anna Lazarus Caplan,
PEOPLE,
7 July 2026
There generally is no need to proceed with more intensive cardiac screening tests that people hear about for athletes at the professional or high-level collegiate sports level.
—
Nicole Williams,
AJC.com,
6 July 2026
It's made for true athletes and generally active folks alike.
—
Kelsey Fogarty,
PC Magazine,
6 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for athlete
Cite this Entry
“Athlete.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/athlete. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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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