An athlete is most commonly a person who competes in one or more sports involving physical strength, speed, power, or endurance. Sometimes, the word "athlete" is used to refer specifically to sport of athletics competitors, i.e. including track and field and marathon runners but excluding e.g. swimmers, footballers or basketball players. However in other contexts it is used to refer to all athletics participants of any sport. For the latter definition, the word sportsperson or its gendered sportsman or sportswoman are also used. A third definition is also sometimes used meaning anyone who is physically fit regardless of whether or not they compete in a sport.

एक एथलीट एक ऐसा व्यक्ति है जो एक या अधिक खेल प्रतियोगिता में भाग लेता है। जिसमें शारीरिक शक्ति, गति या धीरज शामिल होता हैं। हॉर्स राइडिंग या ड्राइविंग जैसी अन्य गतिविधियों में भाग लेने वालों के लिए शब्द का आवेदन कुछ विवादास्पद है।