gymnastic

1 of 2

adjective

gym·​nas·​tic jim-ˈna-stik 

: of or relating to gymnastics : athletic

gymnastically

jim-ˈna-sti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

gymnastic

2 of 2

noun

1

gymnastics jim-ˈna-stiks  plural in form but singular in construction

a

: physical exercises designed to develop strength and coordination

b

: a competitive sport in which individuals perform optional and prescribed acrobatic feats mostly on special apparatus in order to demonstrate strength, balance, and body control

2

: an exercise in intellectual or artistic dexterity

my earlier philosophic study had been an intellectual gymnastic

—John Dewey

mental gymnastics

3

: a physical feat or contortion

the gymnastics necessary for the killer to have swung from the fire escape

—E. D. Radin

Examples of gymnastic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Skenes played on the baseball team while Dunne still competes with the gymnastic team — now in her fifth and final season. —Marissa Muller, WWD, 26 Jan. 2025

His gymnastic studio’s website domain went offline. —Ana Claudia Chacin, Miami Herald, 2 Jan. 2025

Noun

Tyler Sabapathy was an accomplished gymnast A native of Toronto, Canada, Sabapathy had been majoring in exercise and sport science and was a member of the university’s club gymnastics team. —Maria Francis, USA TODAY, 29 Jan. 2025

Arguably the most famous recent example was Shoko Miyata, captain of Japan’s women’s gymnastics team. —Lilit Marcus, CNN, 29 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1574, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1652, in the meaning defined at sense 1a