Standard Lemma guide

athlete

noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈæθ.liːt/
  • Canada, General-American: /ˈæθ.lit/
  • /ˈæθ.ə.liːt/ proscribed, anaptyctic
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -æθliːt
  • CMU ARPABET: AE1 TH L IY2 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A participant in any of a group of sporting activities including track and field, road running, cross country running and racewalking.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A person who actively participates in physical sports, especially with great skill; a sportsperson.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Canada, US

Examples

  • She's the first athlete in her sport to obtain a corporate sponsor.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

An exceptionally physically fit person.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

a person trained to compete in sports

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: jock

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: contestant

Narrower terms: acrobat, amateur, ball hawk, ballplayer, baseball player, basketball player, basketeer, cager, climber, cricketer, football player, footballer, gymnast, hockey player, ice-hockey player, hooker, hurdler, jumper, lacrosse player, letterman, Olympian, pentathlete, professional, pro, runner, sharpshooter, shot putter, skater, skier, sledder, soccer player, sport, sportsman, sportswoman, striker, substitute, reserve, second-stringer, swimmer, swinger, tennis player, vaulter, pole vaulter, pole jumper, weightlifter, lifter, winger, Fosbury, Dick Fosbury, Richard D. Fosbury, Mathias, Bob Mathias, Robert Bruce Mathias, Owens, Jesse Owens, James Cleveland Owens, Thorpe, Jim Thorpe, James Francis Thorpe, Zaharias, Babe Zaharias, Didrikson, Babe Didrikson, Mildred Ella Didrikson, Mildred Ella Didrikson Zaharias

History

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”).

Across languages

Translations

203 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: atlet — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Albanian: atlete — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Belarusian: лёгкаатле́т (ljohkaatljét) — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Belarusian: лёгкаатле́тка (ljohkaatljétka) — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Bulgarian: лекоатле́т (lekoatlét) — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Bulgarian: лекоатле́тка (lekoatlétka) — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Burmese: အားကစားသမား (a:ka.ca:sa.ma:) — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Catalan: atleta — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Chinese Mandarin: 田徑運動員 /田径运动员 (tiánjìng yùndòngyuán) — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Coptic: ⲁⲑⲗⲏⲧⲏⲥ (athlētēs) — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Czech: atlet — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Czech: atletka — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Danish: atlet — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Esperanto: atleto — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Esperanto: sportisto — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Finnish: yleisurheilija — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • French: athlète — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Georgian: ათლეტი (atleṭi) — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • German: Athlet — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • German: Athletin — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • German: Sportler — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • German: Sportlerin — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Greek: αθλητής (athlitís) — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Greek: αθλήτρια (athlítria) — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Ancient Greek: ἀθλητής (athlētḗs) — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Hungarian: atléta — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Hungarian: atlétanő — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Icelandic: íþrottmaður — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Ido: atleto — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Indonesian: atlet — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Irish: lúthchleasaí — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Italian: atleta — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Japanese: 陸上競技の選手 (rikujō kyōgi no senshu) — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Japanese: 陸上選手 (rikujō senshu) — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Kazakh: жеңіл атлет (jeñıl atlet) — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Khmer: អត្តពលិក (ʼattaʼpŏəllɨk) — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Khmer: អ្នកកីឡា (nĕək kəylaa) — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Korean: 육상 경기(陸上競技) 선수 (yuksang gyeonggi seonsu) — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Korean: 육상 선수 (yuksang seonsu) — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Latin: āthlēta — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Lithuanian: atletas — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Lithuanian: atletė — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Lithuanian: sportininkas — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Lithuanian: sportininkė — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Māori: kaipara — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Norwegian Bokmål: idrettsmann — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Norwegian Bokmål: idrettsutøver — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: idrettsmann — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: idrettsutøvar — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Polish: lekkoatleta — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Polish: lekkoatletka — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Polish: atleta — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Polish: atletka — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Portuguese: atleta — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Russian: легкоатле́т (lexkoatlét) — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Russian: легкоатле́тка (lexkoatlétka) — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Serbo-Croatian: спортиста — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Serbo-Croatian: спо̀рта̄ш — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Serbo-Croatian: sportista — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Serbo-Croatian: spòrtāš — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Slovak: športovec — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Spanish: atleta — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Swahili: mwanariadha — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Swedish: friidrottare — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Telugu: క్రీడాకారుడు (krīḍākāruḍu) — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Telugu: క్రీడాకారిణి (krīḍākāriṇi) — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Thai: นักกีฬา (nák-gii-laa) — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Ottoman Turkish: پهلوان (pehlevân, pehlivân) — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Ukrainian: легкоатле́т (lehkoatlét) — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Ukrainian: легкоатле́тка (lehkoatlétka) — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Vietnamese: vận động viên — participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
  • Albanian: atlet — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Albanian: atlete — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Arabic: رِيَاضِيّ (riyāḍiyy) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Arabic: رِيَاضِيَّة (riyāḍiyya) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Armenian: սպորտսմեն (sportsmen) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Armenian: մարզիկ (marzik) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Azerbaijani: idmançı — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Belarusian: спартсме́н (spartsmjén) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Belarusian: спартсме́нка (spartsmjénka) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Belarusian: спарто́вец (spartóvjec) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Belarusian: спарто́ўка (spartówka) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Belarusian: атле́т (atljét) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Belarusian: атле́тка (atljétka) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Bulgarian: атле́т (atlét) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Bulgarian: атле́тка (atlétka) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Bulgarian: спорти́ст (sportíst) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Bulgarian: спорти́стка (sportístka) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Burmese: အားကစားသမား (a:ka.ca:sa.ma:) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Catalan: atleta — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Chinese Mandarin: 運動員 /运动员 (yùndòngyuán) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Czech: sportovec — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Czech: sportovkyně — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Danish: sportsudøver — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Dutch: atleet — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Esperanto: atleto — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Estonian: sportlane — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Finnish: atleetti — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • French: athlète — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • French: sportif — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • French: sportive — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Galician: atleta — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Georgian: ათლეტი (atleṭi) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Georgian: სპორტსმენი (sṗorṭsmeni) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • German: Sportler — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • German: Sportlerin — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • German: Athlet — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • German: Athletin — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Greek: αθλητής (athlitís) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Greek: αθλήτρια (athlítria) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Ancient Greek: ἀθλητής (athlētḗs) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Hebrew: אַתְלֶט (atlét) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Hindi: खिलाड़ी (khilāṛī) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Hungarian: atléta — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Ido: atleto — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Indonesian: atlet — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Irish: lúthchleasaí — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Italian: atleta — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Italian: sportivo — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Italian: sportiva — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Japanese: 運動選手 (undō senshu) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Japanese: 選手 (senshu) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Kazakh: спортшы (sportşy) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Khmer: អត្តពលិក (ʼattaʼpŏəllɨk) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Khmer: អ្នកកីឡា (nĕək kəylaa) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Korean: 운동선수 (undongseonsu) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Korean: 선수 (seonsu) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Northern Kurdish: palewan — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Northern Kurdish: werzişvan — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Kyrgyz: спортчу (sportcu) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Lao: ນັກກິລາ (nak ki lā) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Latin: āthlēta — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Latvian: atlēts — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Latvian: atlēte — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Latvian: sportists — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Latvian: sportiste — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Lithuanian: sportininkas — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Lithuanian: sportininkė — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Macedonian: спорти́ст (sportíst) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Macedonian: спорти́стка (sportístka) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Malay: atlet — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Malay: olahragawan — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Māori: kaipara — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Mongolian: тамирчин (tamirčin) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Mongolian: ᠲᠠᠮᠢᠷᠴᠢᠨ (tamirčin) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Norwegian Bokmål: atlet — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Pashto: ورزشکار (warzǝškãr) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Iranian Persian: وَرْزِشْکار (varzeškâr) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Polish: sportowiec — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Polish: sportsmen — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Polish: sportsmenka — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Polish: atleta — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Polish: atletka — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Portuguese: atleta — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Romanian: atlet — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Romanian: atletă — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Russian: спортсме́н (sportsmén) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Russian: спортсме́нка (sportsménka) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Russian: атле́т (atlét) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Russian: атле́тка (atlétka) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Serbo-Croatian: спортиста — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Serbo-Croatian: спо̀рта̄ш — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Serbo-Croatian: sportista — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Serbo-Croatian: spòrtāš — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Slovak: športovec — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Slovak: športovkyňa — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Slovene: športnik — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Slovene: športnica — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Spanish: atleta — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Swahili: mwanariadha — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Swedish: atlet — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Tajik: варзишгар (varzišgar) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Tatar: спортчы (sportçı) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Thai: นักกีฬา (nák-gii-laa) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Turkish: sporcu — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Ottoman Turkish: پهلوان (pehlevân, pehlivân) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Turkmen: sportçy — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Ukrainian: спортсме́н (sportsmén) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Ukrainian: спортсме́нка (sportsménka) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Ukrainian: спорто́вець (sportóvecʹ) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Ukrainian: спорто́вка (sportóvka) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Ukrainian: атле́т (atlét) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Ukrainian: атле́тка (atlétka) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Urdu: کِھلاڑی (khilāṛī) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Urdu: وَرْزِش کار (varziś kār) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Uyghur: تەنھەرىكەتچى (tenheriketchi) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Uyghur: ئىسپورتچى (isportchi) — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Uzbek: sportchi — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Uzbek: atlet — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Vietnamese: nhà thể thao — person who actively participates in physical sports
  • Catalan: atleta — exceptionally physically fit person
  • Finnish: atleetti — exceptionally physically fit person
  • French: athlète — exceptionally physically fit person
  • Galician: atleta — exceptionally physically fit person
  • Māori: waetea — exceptionally physically fit person
  • Norwegian: spreking — exceptionally physically fit person
  • Norwegian: atlet — exceptionally physically fit person
  • Polish: atleta — exceptionally physically fit person
  • Polish: atletka — exceptionally physically fit person
  • Polish: atletyk — exceptionally physically fit person
  • Romanian: persoană atletică — exceptionally physically fit person
  • Romanian: atlet — exceptionally physically fit person
  • Spanish: persona atlética — exceptionally physically fit person
Real reading context

athlete in complete knowledge articles