sporting

1. 1
   adjective

   Relating to sports, or connected with athletic competition and activity.

   Local businesses sponsor many of the region's sporting clubs.

   The magazine devotes a whole section to sporting achievements.

   Similarathletic

   Note

   A classifying adjective sorts things into the world of sport, as in sporting goods or sporting clubs, without grading them. That is why it has no comparative. You can call a gesture more sporting, but nobody says a more sporting goods store. That simple test separates it from the "fair play" meaning, which compares freely.

2. 2
   verb

   Present participle and gerund of sport.

   The general appeared on the balcony sporting all of his medals.

   She walked into the office sporting a confident grin.

   Note

   Followed by an object, the form takes on a different job: to sport a medal, a grin or a beard is to display it, or to have it as a notable feature. Without an object it goes back to playing, teasing or toying with something. The same spelling also serves as an adjective and as the countable noun. Only the noun takes a plural, sportings.

3. 3
   adjective

   Fair and generous; willing to take a risk or go along with something in good spirit.

   It was sporting of the champion to lend his rival a spare racket.

   They made a sporting offer to split the prize money evenly.

   Similardecent, generous, fair, gracious, kind

   Oppositemean, unfair, unsporting

   Note

   Fair play has moved off the field here. The generosity can be shown anywhere, such as letting someone off a penalty or making an even offer. The word also carries the edge of "game": a willingness to take a chance or join in cheerfully. It shares the "sporting of her to…" pattern with the sportsmanship sense, but no contest needs to be involved.

4. 4
   adjective

   Showing the fair, respectful conduct expected of a good competitor.

   Shaking hands across the net was a sporting gesture after the tense final.

   The crowd admired his sporting conduct toward the injured runner.

   Similarsportsmanlike, gracious, fair, gentlemanly, honorable

   Oppositeunsporting, unsportsmanlike, unfair

   Note

   Here the word praises how someone behaves, not what they play. Its favorite construction is "it is sporting of you to…" or the clipped "quite sporting of you". These phrases thank a person for fair conduct they did not have to offer, such as calling a foul on themselves. Because it describes a quality, it grades naturally: more sporting, most sporting.

5. 5
   noununcountable

   The activity of taking part in a sport or athletic pastime.

   The estate offered fishing, riding, and sporting of every kind.

   A long afternoon of sporting in the fields gave way to a quiet evening.

   Similarrecreation, exercise

   Note

   As a true noun, unlike the verbal gerund, it can be counted and made plural. Robert Barclay's Apology (c. 1675) shows the plural in a list of things he condemns: plays, frivolous recreations, sportings and gamings, all invented to pass the precious time. Barclay groups sport with idle diversion. That moral grouping lies behind the word's looser senses.

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