athlete

noun
a person who is good at sports like running or jumping, especially one who takes part in sports competitions:
Athletes from all over the world go to the Olympic Games.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

athlete

ath‧lete /ˈæθliːt/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: athleta, from Greek athletes, from athlon 'prize, competition']
1. someone who competes in sports competitions, especially running, jumping, and throwing:
a professional athlete
2. someone who is good at sports and who often does sports:
I was a natural athlete as a kid.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

athlete

ath·lete [athlete athletes] [ˈæθliːt] [ˈæθliːt] noun
1. a person who competes in sports

• Olympic athletes

2. (BrE) a person who competes in sports such as running and jumping

3. a person who is good at sports and physical exercise
• She is a natural athlete.
Word Origin:
late Middle English: from Latin athleta, from Greek athlētēs, from athlein ‘compete for a prize’, from athlon ‘prize’.
Example Bank:
• She has the build and strength of a natural athlete.
• The athletes are training hard for the Olympics.
• athletes playing pro football
• one of the greatest athletes of all time
• It's clear that he's a natural athlete.
• Several Olympic athletes were accused of taking performance-enhancing drugs.

• She's a superbly gifted all-round athlete.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition

athlete / ˈæθ.liːt / noun [ C ]

B1 a person who is very good at sports or physical exercise, especially one who competes in organized events:

He became a professional athlete at the age of 16.

She has the build of an athlete.

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

athlete

/æθli:t/
(athletes)

Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.

1.
An athlete is a person who does a sport, especially athletics, or track and field events.
Daley Thompson was a great athlete.
N-COUNT

2.
You can refer to someone who is fit and athletic as an athlete.
I was no athlete.
N-COUNT

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

athlete

ath·lete /ˈæɵˌliːt/ noun, pl -letes [count] : a person who is trained in or good at sports, games, or exercises that require physical skill and strength
• Athletes from around the world will be competing at the Olympics.
• amateur/professional athletes
• She was quite an athlete as a child.