sporting

adjective

sport·​ing ˈspȯr-tiŋ 

1

a

: of, relating to, used, or suitable for sport

especially : trained for trapping or retrieving game

sporting dogs

b

: marked by or calling for sportsmanship

c

: involving such risk as a sports contender may expect to take or encounter

a sporting chance

2

: of or relating to dissipation and especially gambling

3

: tending to mutate freely

sportingly adverb

Examples of sporting in a Sentence

It wasn't very sporting of you to trip him.

Recent Examples on the Web

Known for its boozy, celebrity-stuffed broadcast, the Globes long ranked as one of the most-watched non-sporting live programs of the year. —Time, 12 Dec. 2022

These are lessons often lost on commercial, non-sporting, organizations who all too often focus on the transaction, rather than the total experience. —Bill Fischer, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2022

Non-sporting breeds were judged including the chow chows!! —Alexandra Schonfeld, PEOPLE.com, 22 June 2022

The show's finalists each represent the best of seven different groups of dog breeds: herding, hound, non-sporting, terrier, toy and working. —Aj Willingham, CNN, 22 June 2022

Word History

First Known Use

1713, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing sporting

• sporting house

Kids Definition

sporting

adjective

sport·​ing ˈspōrt-iŋ 

ˈspȯrt-

1

: of, relating to, or suitable for sport

sporting events

sporting dogs

2

: involving about as much risk as a sports competitor would expect to take

a sporting chance