sportsmanship

noun

sports·​man·​ship ˈspȯrts-mən-ˌship How to pronounce sportsmanship (audio)
: conduct (such as fairness, respect for one's opponent, and graciousness in winning or losing) becoming to one participating in a sport

Examples of sportsmanship in a Sentence

He's a great player who's also admired for his sportsmanship.
Recent Examples on the Web The latter was handed down by the Big Ten in November as punishment for an in-person scouting and sign-stealing scheme the conference determined broke its sportsmanship policy. Ralph D. Russo, USA TODAY, 7 Jan. 2024 Following the final whistle, Wise was also named the sportsmanship award winner for Maranatha Christian during the post-match awards ceremony. San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Feb. 2024 The contest turned out to be a masterclass — as expected for the pair of iconic sharpshooters — and a display of sportsmanship, grace and mutual respect. Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2024 After playing 50 games for the Flyers in the 2020-21 season, Lindblom was named the winner of the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, presented annually to the player who best embodies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to the game of hockey. Carol Schram, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024 Football players and celebrities made their way to the red carpet for the special event celebrating sportsmanship in style. Essence, 9 Feb. 2024 The Big Ten suspended Harbaugh for the final three regular-season games for violating the conference's sportsmanship policy. Eric Olson, USA TODAY, 3 Jan. 2024 The Delray Beach Senior Games gives people who are 50 or older the chance to revel in the spirit of goodwill, good sportsmanship and good health, win medals and advance to the Florida Senior Games every December. Gary Curreri, Sun Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2024 While no studies have revealed a link between Chipotle and great sportsmanship yet, old tweets have revealed that Travis Kelce is also a fan of the popular Mexican grill. Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 29 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sportsmanship.' 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

1897, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sportsmanship was in 1897

Dictionary Entries Near sportsmanship

Cite this Entry

“Sportsmanship.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sportsmanship. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sportsmanship

noun
sports·​man·​ship ˈspō(ə)rt-smən-ˌship How to pronounce sportsmanship (audio)
ˈspȯ(ə)rt-
: fair play, respect for opponents, and gracious behavior in winning or losing

More from Merriam-Webster on sportsmanship

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!