athletics
n. uncountablen. sports that involve running, jumping, and throwing. You usually see these events in a stadium or at the Olympic Games.
n. a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking. In British English, it refers specifically to track and field events, whereas in American English, it can refer to sports in general.
She joined the school athletics team to practice sprinting.
The city built a new stadium to host the national athletics championships next summer.
While the curriculum emphasizes team sports like football, the school also maintains a strong tradition in athletics, particularly in long-distance running and the high jump.
From athletic: see -ics. Probably formed on the model of gymnastics.
From athletic + -s.
The noun is treated as singular when referring to the sport ('Athletics is popular'), but can be plural in American English when referring to various sports activities.
The athletics are my favorite sport.Athletics is my favorite sport.In British English, athletics is a singular noun and takes a singular verb.