What does sportspeople mean?
Sportspeople means people who take part in sports or athletic competitions, especially professional athletes. It is the plural of sportsperson and serves as a gender-neutral alternative to sportsmen, which can sometimes suggest that the people included are men. The word appears in British and US English in journalism, public institutions, charity organizations, and discussions of sporting achievement. Because it is a plural noun, it commonly takes a plural verb: "The sportspeople travel together," rather than "The sportspeople travels together." It is also used broadly for athletes and competitors rather than only for people who play team games. Sportspeople can sound slightly more formal than athletes, but it is especially useful when the speaker wants to refer collectively to male and female participants without drawing attention to gender.
nounSportspeople are people who participate in sports or athletic competitions, especially professional athletes. The term is the plural of sportsperson and is used when a gender-neutral collective term is preferred.
- People who participate in sports or athletic competitions, especially professional athletes.
"The charity supports young sportspeople who are unable to compete because of injury."
"Famous sportspeople from around the world attended the ceremony."
"The exhibition features photographs of sportspeople training for competition."
Sportspeople is itself the standard plural form of sportsperson.
"Many sportspeople gave interviews after the final."
One plural ending does the work of many names: sportspeople is the inclusive, gender-neutral plural of sportsperson.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sportspeople come from?
The element sport entered English from Old French sport, ultimately from Latin sportare, associated with amusement, activity, or public display. The older gendered forms sportsman and sportswoman developed from sport and were later joined by the gender-neutral sportsperson and its plural sportspeople. In this formation, people functions as the plural counterpart of person, producing a term widely used in modern English.
How sportspeople is actually used
Sportspeople is a plural-only noun; its singular is sportsperson. It is common in British and US English, particularly in formal, journalistic, institutional, and sports-related contexts. Unlike sportsmen, it does not imply that the people referred to are male, although sportswomen may be used when a specifically female group is intended.