Skip to main content
pentathlete

pentathlete

1 7.6
A sportsperson who competes in five different events like running and swimming
  • noun
  • /ˈpɛnˌtæθlit/
: pentatleta
  • Only a few athletes can handle the diverse challenges faced by a pentathlete in competitions.
  • a modern pentathlete
  • a top pentathlete
  • a U.S. pentathlete

Examples

  • I guess she's only the 11th best pentathlete in the world.

  • High school pentathlete...

    Fiction book (1997)
  • Pentathlete.

  • At the 1968 Olympics, Swedish pentathlete Hans-Gunnar Liljenwall was disqualified.

    Blog text (5)
  • Sheila Taormina is an accomplished pentathlete who has competed in several Olympic events.

  • The training regimen for a pentathlete includes swimming, fencing, and running.

Surface Forms

pentathlete singular
pentathletes plural

Morphology

pentathlete = athlete (transparent) = pent + athlete

The prefix 'pent-' clearly indicates five, and 'athlete' retains its meaning, making the combination straightforward.

Etymology

Pentathlete comes from the Greek part penta- meaning 'five' and the word athlete, a person who does sports. Think of a pentagon, a five-sided shape, to remember 'five', so a pentathlete is an athlete who takes part in five different events.