| Athlete is a more general word that can be used to describe a person involved in sports or physical activities. |
| Player is more specific, it’s used for games or sports that you “play” against another person or team. |
Athlete vs Player
During the Olympic games we hear the word athlete used a lot. Other international sports competitions that focus on only one sport like the FIFA World Cup (soccer/football), World Baseball Classic, The Ryder Cup (golf), The F1 Grand Prix (motor sports) and more, are also big news. The news talks about people competing from countries all over the world.
Another word we often hear connected to sports and competition is player. One of my private students here in Japan asked me:
“What’s the difference between an athlete and a player?”
It’s a good question and I thought maybe other people studying English have the same question so I’d like to answer it in this blog post. I hope it’s helpful for you!
Table of Contents
- Athlete vs Player
- The Difference between an ATHLETE and a PLAYER
- Athlete VS Player video
- FAQs
– Are eSports competitors considered athletes or players?
– Is “sportsman” the same as “athlete”?
– Is “athlete” only used for professionals?
The Difference between an ATHLETE and a PLAYER
The meaning of these two words is similar, but there is a subtle difference. The adjective subtle means: not very obvious or easy to notice
subtle – not very obvious or easy to notice
Please check out the definitions below with pronunciation links from Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries
↙ Click for pronunciation
athlete – a person who competes in sports
Canada’s Olympic athletes marched together for the opening ceremony of the Winter games.
↙ Click for pronunciation
player – a person who takes part in a game or sport. A tennis/rugby/chess, player etc.
The two chess players were very focused on the game, always thinking 5 moves ahead.
What’s the difference?
Athlete is a more general word that can be used to describe a person involved in sports or physical activities.
Player is more specific, it’s used for games or sports that you “play” against another person or team. (You can also play a game against a computer) The verb play is used for sports with a ball. We also play hockey (hockey uses a puck) and badminton (badminton uses a shuttlecock).
How to use the verbs PLAY, DO, and GO
Athlete VS Player video
Here are some other examples to highlight the difference.
Let’s look at the biggest international sports contest, the Olympics. All the participants in the Olympic games are called athletes. The Olympics also has teams with players.
Players are in a competition where you get a goal or point against another player or team of players.
Some events are not measured by goals. They can be:
Measured by time
(the fastest runner or skater for example)
Measured by distance
(the highest or the longest jump for example)
Scored by judges
(gymnastics, snowboard half-pipe for example)
The participants in these events are usually called athletes, not players.
A player can also be an athlete
Lionel Messi is considered one of the best soccer players to ever play. He is a famous athlete known around the world.
…but not all athletes are players.
Rock climbers are athletes but we don’t call them players.
In the same way, we wouldn’t say that a video game player is always an athlete.
The word athlete has an adjective form that is very common and you have probably heard before.
athletic adjective physically strong, fit and active
Darryl plays rugby, soccer, and he is on the track team. He is very athletic.
*For many sports or activities we call the participants by their sport name + er. The same way someone who washes windows is a window washer, someone who snowboards is a snowboarder, someone who skates is a skater etc.
Check out my updated Root Word Method post to learn more about the suffix er.
FAQs
Are eSports competitors considered athletes or players?
eSports competitors are usually called players rather than athletes. The basic definition of athlete is – a person who competes in sports.
Even though eSports has the word SPORT in its name, it is still a video game played in front of a machine. As video games get more advanced they may also involve more physical activity from the player, so one day calling eSports competitors athletes may be OK. For now, I think “player” is the best fit. What do you think? Share your opinion in the comments!
Is “sportsman” the same as “athlete”?
The word sportsman has a different feeling, and is much more common in British English than North American English.
From Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary: LINK
sportsman – a man who plays a lot of sport, especially as a professional
“David Beckham was recently made a knight by Charles, King of England. He is one of the country’s most recognized sportsmen.” David Beckham, Luke Littler among athletes named in honours list – ESPN
Sportsman can also be used for someone who likes to hunt or fish.
“My uncle lives beside a lake so he fishes once or twice a week. He also goes hunting every Autumn, he’s a real sportsman.”
Sportsman can also mean someone who plays sport in a way that is respectful to his opponents and plays the game fairly.
We often use the compound noun sportsmanship to mean – fair, generous and polite behaviour, especially when playing a sport or game
“I won a sportsmanship award when I played hockey in high school.”
Is “athlete” only used for professionals?
No. Many athletes are professionals but the word athlete can also be used for a person who trains and competes in a sport. Even as an amateur.
“My Dad played hockey and baseball when he was younger, my brother still plays hockey at 58 and I have practiced martial arts for most of my life. There are many athletes in my family.”
In the NEWS
Angel Reese becomes first pro athlete to star in Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show
WNBA player Angel Reese became the first professional athlete to walk the runway at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show on Wednesday…
