sportifn.adj.
/spɔːˈtiːf/, U.S. /spɔrˈtif/ A. n.
a. A person who plays sport; someone who is athletic or fit.
ΚΠ
1924 R. Kipling Debits & Credits (1926) 217 I am no longer a scandalous old ‘sportif’ in shirt-sleeves howling encouragement to the yellow son of a cow.
1938 E. Hemingway Fifth Column (1939) 171 There were two kinds [of poor neighbour]: the drunkards and the sportifs... The sportifs took it out in exercise.
1992 Harper's Mag. Oct. 39/2 The three-foot-seven sportif who came to bat one time for the St. Louis Browns some six weeks ago.
b. That which is sporty; the quality or condition of being sporty or sportive.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > sport > [noun] > quality or character
sportiness1833
sportif1934
the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > types or styles of clothing > [noun] > for specific purpose > informal wear > state of being suitable for
sportif1934
1934 C. Lambert Music Ho! iv. 242 The musical equivalent of this obsession with the mechanical, the sportif and the soi-disant contemporary, is provided by the naïvely realistic orchestral pieces of Honegger.
1963 Times 1 May 9/6 Elegance is the word that immediately comes to mind—elegance with more than a touch of the sportif, for the performance is a good bit better than you might expect from a car of less than 1-litre capacity.
B. adj.
= sporty adj. (in various senses); esp. athletic, fit.Originally used with conscious reference to French or French contexts; now in more general use, but still regarded as somewhat affected.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > sport > player or sportsperson > [adjective]
sporting1679
sportive1713
sportsmanly1778
sportsmanlike1816
reserve1869
sporty1889
sportif1953
the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > types or styles of clothing > [adjective] > for specific purpose > informal wear > informal or sports wear
sporty1895
sportive1935
sportif1953
1953 S. J. Perelman Let. 23 June in Don't tread on Me (1987) 139 Haven't read anything extra sportif lately, but the title essay of George Orwell's book, Such, Such Were the Joys , is a humdinger.
1958 Manch. Guardian 4 Aug. 3/6 Last year it was..the man who played boogie-woogie on a gramophone all night in the next room and when I complained said I wasn't sportif and made a bigger row than ever.
1966 Listener 30 June 939/1 All nations are now sportif, although they do not necessarily acclaim the same sports as we do.
1977 Times 30 July 10/1 The hooded sweatshirt is..casual and sportif yet neat and warm.
1997 Car Mar. 40/2 The 5.0-litre V8 [engine].., given the right encouragement, sounds surprisingly sportif.
2002 H. Kunzru Impressionist (2003) 301 ‘I thought you said you played.’ Jonathan is non-committal. ‘I'm surprised. You colonial fellows are usually so sportif.’
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2008; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.adj.1924