sportive

adjective

sport·​ive ˈspȯr-tiv How to pronounce sportive (audio)
1
2
: of or relating to sports and especially field sports
sportively adverb
sportiveness noun

Examples of sportive in a Sentence

a sportive pastor who began every sermon with a joke
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
While English accents add an element of charm, the Boxing Day coda seems an odd way to wrap things, at least for those who know nothing of such sportive traditions. Peter Debruge, Variety, 19 Oct. 2024 On Sunday, as Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev competed for the men’s championship (with Djokovic prevailing in the end), another crew was present to take in the sportive scene. Nick Remsen, Vogue, 11 Sep. 2023 In 2018, Brooke Eby, a sportive goofball with strawberry-blond hair, started to feel as though her left foot couldn’t keep up. Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 19 June 2023 That was true even in extremely endangered ones such as the northern sportive lemur (Lepilemur septentrionalis) of which only 40 are known to exist, all within 12 square kilometers of Madagascar. Byelizabeth Pennisi, science.org, 1 June 2023 See all Example Sentences for sportive 

Word History

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of sportive was in 1593

Dictionary Entries Near sportive

Cite this Entry

“Sportive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sportive. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

sportive

adjective
sport·​ive ˈspōrt-iv How to pronounce sportive (audio)
ˈspȯrt-
sportively adverb
sportiveness noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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