# athletics

Pronunciation: US say "ath-LET-iks" /æθˈlɛtɪks/; UK

## Noun

1. Sports, games, and similar physical pursuits that call for stamina, fitness, and skill. *(US)*
   - Simple: Physical sports and games that need energy, fitness, and skill.
   - _The university's athletics department oversees every varsity team on campus._
   - _Funding for athletics rose sharply after the new gym opened._
2. Track and field, together with related sports such as road running, cross-country running, and racewalking. *(British)*
   - Simple: Sports like running, jumping, and throwing, often done on a track.
   - _British athletics produced several medallists at the world championships._
   - _She joined the local club to pursue athletics, focusing on the long jump._

## Origin

Formed from "athletic" with the suffix "-ics," probably modeled on the word "gymnastics."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/athletics (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).