athleticism

Etymology

It is formed from English athletic + -ism.^[2][3][4] Athletic is from Latin āthlēticus, from Ancient Greek ἀθλητικός (athlētikós), from ἀθλητής (athlētḗs, “contestant in the games”).^[3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The revised OED's first record is in J. Knowles's Pronouncing and Explanatory Dictionary of 1835,^[2] the date Merriam-Webster Unabridged and Etymonline also give.^[5][3] The 1989 edition of the OED had dated the word only to 1870.^[6]

Semantic evolution

The sources differ on which sense came first.^[3][5][7] Etymonline glosses the word of 1835 as "devotion to athletics", with the sense "physical strength and capability of robust activity" by the late 19th century;^[3] Merriam-Webster Unabridged and the Historical Thesaurus instead date the sense "athletic ability, the qualities of an athlete" to 1835, and the Historical Thesaurus dates "the practice of or devotion to athletics" to 1870.^[5][7] The revised OED puts the physical qualities first, noting that earlier use mostly meant the practice of athletics,^[2] which was the only sense in its 1989 edition: the practice of athletic exercises, or training as an athlete.^[6] Merriam-Webster Unabridged also records an intense interest in athletics, ardent participation in them, and zealous encouragement of them.^[5]

Timeline

• 1835 – the physical qualities of an athlete, such as fitness, strength and agility.^[2][5][7] Etymonline glosses its 1835 record as devotion to athletics.^[3]
• 1870 – the practice of, or devotion to, athletic exercises.^[6][7]

Meanings

Noun

1. Athletic ability; the physical qualities of an athlete, such as strength, fitness and agility: The goalkeeper's athleticism saved the match.^[2][5][1]
2. The practice of athletics, or devotion to it; an intense interest in or zealous encouragement of athletic sports.^[2][5][6]

Related words

• athlete
• athletic
• athletics

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b Klein, Ernest. A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the English Language. 2 vols. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 1966–1967.
5. ^ a b c d e f g Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
6. ^ a b c d Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ a b c d Kay, Christian; Roberts, Jane; Samuels, Michael; Wotherspoon, Irené, eds. (2009), Historical Thesaurus of the Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford: Oxford University Press; online edition (2024)