athletics

Etymology

It is formed from English athletic + -ics,^[2][3] probably on the model of gymnastics.^[3] The adjective goes back through Latin āthlēticus to Ancient Greek ἀθλητικός (athlētikós, “of an athlete”), from ἀθλητής (athlētḗs, “contestant in the games”).^[2][4][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The practice of activities that need physical skill, strength and endurance, often in sporting competition: 1738, in the second edition of Chambers's Cyclopædia.^[2][5] Etymonline dates the word to about 1730,^[3] while Dictionary.com gives 1595–1605.^[6]

Semantic evolution

In Britain the word narrowed, from 1866, to track and field events: running, jumping and throwing.^[2][7] In North America it kept the wide sense of sports and games of all kinds, so that school or college athletics covers football and basketball as well.^[2][7][5] It is used with either a singular or a plural verb.^[5][8]

Timeline

• c. 1730 – the art or practice of athletic exercises.^[3]
• 1738 – physical exercises and sports, in Chambers's Cyclopædia.^[2][5]
• 1866 – track and field events, first in British use.^[2]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. (chiefly British) The sport of competing in track and field events such as running, jumping and throwing.
2. (chiefly North American) Physical sports, exercises and games of any kind.
3. The practice of athletic activities, or the principles of training for them.

Related words

• athlete
• athletic
• athleticism
• gymnastics

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ Klein, Ernest. A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the English Language. 2 vols. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 1966–1967.
5. ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
6. ^ Dictionary.com Unabridged (2016), based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, New York: Random House
7. ^ a b Stevenson, Angus, ed. (2010), Oxford Dictionary of English, 3rd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
8. ^ Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins