sporting

adjective

sport·​ing ˈspȯr-tiŋ How to pronounce sporting (audio)
1
a
: of, relating to, used, or suitable for sport
especially : trained for trapping or retrieving game
sporting dogs
b
: marked by or calling for sportsmanship
c
: involving such risk as a sports contender may expect to take or encounter
a sporting chance
2
: of or relating to dissipation and especially gambling
3
: tending to mutate freely
sportingly adverb

Examples of sporting in a Sentence

It wasn't very sporting of you to trip him.
Recent Examples on the Web Known for its boozy, celebrity-stuffed broadcast, the Globes long ranked as one of the most-watched non-sporting live programs of the year. Time, 12 Dec. 2022 These are lessons often lost on commercial, non-sporting, organizations who all too often focus on the transaction, rather than the total experience. Bill Fischer, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2022 Non-sporting breeds were judged including the chow chows!! Alexandra Schonfeld, PEOPLE.com, 22 June 2022 The show's finalists each represent the best of seven different groups of dog breeds: herding, hound, non-sporting, terrier, toy and working. Aj Willingham, CNN, 22 June 2022 To lure non-sporting events, BSE Global needs to negotiate favorable terms with promoters, leaving little room for profit. Jabari Young, Forbes, 18 June 2022 REV Entertainment’s team of roughly 35 full-time employees includes seven who work under a subsidiary business called REV Production Services, which specializes in installing flooring and barricades at stadiums for non-sporting events. Dom Difurio, Dallas News, 18 Aug. 2021 Hawks owner/general manager Ben Kerner had trouble securing home dates at the Milwaukee Arena for parts of the season, including in March and most of February, with the venue preferring to schedule non-sporting events as better revenue bets. Jr Radcliffe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 22 June 2021 Clearly aware of sneakers' cultural power, Nike has since collaborated with luxury fashion labels like Dior and Sacai, as well as non-sporting celebrities such as Travis Scott and somewhat unlikely brands like Ben & Jerry's. CNN, 5 July 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sporting.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1713, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of sporting was in 1713

Dictionary Entries Near sporting

Cite this Entry

“Sporting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sporting. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sporting

adjective
sport·​ing ˈspōrt-iŋ How to pronounce sporting (audio)
ˈspȯrt-
1
: of, relating to, or suitable for sport
sporting events
sporting dogs
2
: involving about as much risk as a sports competitor would expect to take
a sporting chance
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