ENGLISH
REFERENCE

athletic

adj.
US //æθˈɫɛtɪk// UK //æθlˈɛtɪk// ath·let·ic
  1. 1 physically fit and strong (adj.)
    A2 Elementary Sport

    strong, fit, and good at sports.

    physically active and possessing the skills or strength required for sports.

    Example

    She has always been very athletic and enjoys running marathons.

    Example

    The coach looked for athletic students who demonstrated both natural stamina and a disciplined approach to daily training.
  2. 2 muscular body type (adj.)
    B1 Intermediate

    having a strong, well-developed body.

    possessing a muscular, well-proportioned, and physically powerful physique.

    Example

    He has an athletic build because he spends a lot of time at the gym.

    Example

    Her athletic frame was perfectly suited for competitive swimming, providing the necessary power for explosive starts and turns.
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  1. 3 relating to athletes (adj.)
    B1 Intermediate Sport

    connected to athletes or organized sports.

    pertaining to athletes or the practice of sports and physical games.

    Example

    The university offers several athletic scholarships to talented young players.

    Example

    The department manages all athletic facilities, ensuring that the tracks and courts meet international competition standards.
Origin

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂weh₁-der. Proto-Indo-European *-tḗr Proto-Indo-European *-tromder. Ancient Greek ἆθλον (âthlon) Ancient Greek ᾱ̓θλέω (āthléō) Proto-Hellenic *-tās Ancient Greek -τής (-tḗs) Ancient Greek ἀθλητής (athlētḗs) Proto-Indo-European *-kos Ancient Greek -κός (-kós) Ancient Greek -ικός (-ikós) Ancient Greek ᾱ̓θλητῐκός (āthlētĭkós)bor. Latin āthlēticuslbor. Middle French athletiquebor. English athletic Borrowed from Middle French athletique and Latin āthlēticus, from Ancient Greek ἀθλητικός (athlētikós, “relating to an athlete”), from ἀθλητής (athlētḗs, “athlete”): equivalent to athlete + -ic. For more, see athlete. The Super Mario sense is effectively a reborrowing of Japanese アスレチック (asurechikku, “obstacle course”), originally borrowed from English athletic; this sense was itself originally a clipping of the genericized wasei eigo trademark フィールドアスレチック (fīrudo asurechikku, “Field Athletic”).

Word family

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