ENGLISH
REFERENCE

sports

n. C / U
A1 Beginner US //ˈspɔɹts// UK //spˈɔːts// sports

n. games or physical activities that people do for fun or as a job, often involving competition and rules. You usually play them to stay healthy or to win a prize.

n. physical activities or games governed by a set of rules and often engaged in competitively. The term can refer to specific disciplines or the general category of athletic activity.


SIMPLE

She plays many sports like tennis and soccer.

CONTEXTUAL

The local community center offers various sports for children, including basketball and swimming lessons.

COMPLEX

While professional sports generate significant revenue through broadcasting rights, their primary social value remains the promotion of physical health and communal identity through shared competition.

Synonyms
Origin

From sport + -s.

Usage

Uncountable when referring to the general category of athletic activity; countable when referring to specific types of games or individual events.

Pitfall

I like to do sportsI like to play sportsWhile 'do sport' is common in British English, 'play' is the standard colocation for organized games with rules and teams.

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