Definition

An athletic competition where each participant competes in five different sports or events.

Example

She trained for months to prepare for the pentathlon, which includes fencing, swimming, and running.

Conversation

Have you ever watched a pentathlon competition before?

No, I haven’t, but I’ve heard they are really exciting!

Yeah, they include five different events, like swimming and fencing.

That sounds intense! I'd love to see one in person.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Pentathlon → It is formed from "penta-" (from Greek "pente", meaning five) and "athlon" (from Greek "athlon", meaning contest or prize). The word "pentathlon" refers to a contest consisting of five different events.

Memory Tip

Think of the prefix 'penta-' meaning five, and 'athlon' meaning contest — this helps you remember that a pentathlon is a competition with five events.

Visually Confused Words