decathlon
noun
Did you know?
Decathlon from deca- and athlon, "contest", means "ten contests". The ancient Greek Olympics held five-contest competitions, or pentathlons, that were based on the skills needed in battle. The modern Olympic decathlon, which was born in 1912, consists of the 100-meter run, 400-meter run, 1500-meter run, 110-meter high hurdles, javelin throw, discus throw, shot put, pole vault, high jump, and long jump. The original winner was the legendary Jim Thorpe, who would later be judged the greatest American athlete of the 20th century. And ever since, the Olympic decathlon winner has been called the finest all-around athlete in the world.
Examples of decathlon in a Sentence
José Sánchez Córdova, Dallas Morning News, 1 Feb. 2026
Today’s birthdays: Olympic decathlon gold medalist Bill Toomey is 87.
—Tribune Content Agency, Baltimore Sun, 10 Jan. 2026
Corbo, a first-team All-Dade player at Palmer, went to Ole Miss as a walk-on track athlete, training in the javelin throw as a freshman and in the decathlon as a sophomore.
—Walter Villa, Miami Herald, 22 Dec. 2025
Jim Thorpe won two gold medals in the 1912 Olympic Games for pentathlon and decathlon.
—Frank Vaisvilas, jsonline.com, 27 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Decathlon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decathlon. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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decathlon
noun
