Atletisk

Atletisk is an adjective used in Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, and Swedish to indicate athletic or physically fit characteristics. It describes people who have good physical condition or bodies suited for sports, as well as objects or activities related to athletics, such as an athletic build, athletic performance, or athletic training. The term is commonly found in sports writing, fitness discourse, and education.

Etymology traces atletisk to the Latin athleticus, via the Greek athletikos, and it is cognate with the English word athletic. The Scandinavian form shows the same root adapted to local spelling and grammar. In Scandinavian dictionaries, atletisk is listed as the standard descriptive term, while related nouns and verbs pertain to sport and exercise.

Usage and nuance: In Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian, the word is neutral and widely understood. Examples include phrases describing a person as atletisk or noting athletic abilities, as well as references to atletisk träning (athletic training) or atletiska färdigheter (athletic skills). The word is distinct from the noun form athletics or track and field in those languages, where terms like atletik or atletikk are used for the sport itself; atletisk refers to quality, not the sport.

See also: Athletic, atletik, atletikk, fysisk form, idrottsutövare (athlete). While closely related, atletisk is an adjective describing fitness or related attributes, whereas terms for the sport or discipline may use different nouns.