Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The conduct and attitude of participants in sports, especially when considered commendable as in fair play, courtesy, and grace in losing.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The practice or art of sportsmen; skill in field-sports.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun The practice of sportsmen; skill in field sports.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun the behaviour exhibited in playing sports, either good or bad
  • noun the good attitude/behaviour displayed by players of a game; fairness, determination, winning or losing gracefully

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun fairness in following the rules of the game

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

sportsman +‎ -ship

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Examples

  • Their highest instinct of sportsmanship is to catch a man with his back turned and to smite him a cunning blow with a tomahawk that severs the spinal column at the base of the brain.

    THE TERRIBLE SOLOMONS 2010

  • This type of sportsmanship is important, because the risk of injury from continued hits is fairly high, if you are hit the chances are you will continue being hit until you call yourself out.

    Heroes or Villains? 2010

  • In my heart I know that good sportsmanship is an important component within our system of morality and one of the things that makes us unique in this crazy world.

    BET founder to push for Clinton as Obama's VP pick 2008

  • For a culture that holds dear the concepts of fair play, civility, honest effort -- in short, sportsmanship -- intercollegiate athletics at times sure has a strange way of showing its commitment to such values.

    Myles Brand: Getting a Grip on Fan Behavior in College Sports 2008

  • "I had hoped the USOC and USA Gymnastics would have promoted the interests of athletic achievement and sportsmanship from the beginning of this incident by defending Paul Hamm from the FIG's deplorable actions, yet they had left Paul alone on a limb for eight days," said Sensenbrenner.

    USATODAY.com - FIG asks Hamm to give up gold; USOC outraged 2004

  • Yeah, the kid might get a lecture in sportsmanship if his parents or coaches are around, or he might learn sportsmanship the old-fashioned way — from a black eye issued by his opponent.

    USATODAY.com - No place for Little League on TV 2002

  • Was it pure youthful exuberance, as his Harlem, N.Y., coaches insisted, or an in-your-face lapse in sportsmanship?

    USATODAY.com - They're dancing in Williamsport 2002

  • But I do not wish to recall this particularly to your minds except for this reason, that I never saw an untoward event taken with so much unselfish good sportsmanship - (applause) - as was shown on that occasion by the Toronto Argonauts, who at Stockholm set an example in sportsmanship to all the nations who went to the Olympic games.

    Empire Sport 1920

  • Their highest instinct of sportsmanship is to catch a man with his back turned and to smite him a cunning blow with a tomahawk that severs the spinal column at the base of the brain.

    The Terrible Solomons 1911

  • For a culture that holds dear the concepts of fair play, civility, honest effort - in short, sportsmanship - intercollegiate athletics at times sure has a strange way of showing its commitment to such values.

    The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com Myles Brand 2008

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