A muscular, large–boned person, in the typology of Ernst Kretschmer.
"After years of being a fan, I finally got to meet my favorite athlete who plays for the Oakland Athletics."
A player on the team Oakland Athletics.
In plain English: An athletic person is someone who is very strong and good at sports.
"The athletic won the competition by running the fastest time in the final heat."
Usage: Use "Athletic" only when referring to a member of the Oakland Athletics baseball team, where it functions as a proper noun rather than an adjective describing physical fitness. In all other contexts regarding sports or exercise, the word must be used as an adjective modifying another noun.
Having to do with athletes.
"The athletic department is hosting a fundraiser for local youth sports teams next weekend."
In plain English: Athletic describes someone who is very strong and skilled at sports.
"She is an athletic runner who always wins her local races."
Usage: Athletic describes a person who is physically strong and agile or an activity that requires physical skill and endurance. Do not use it simply to mean "related to sports" when describing an object or event; instead, focus on the display of physical fitness or ability.
The word "athletic" comes from Ancient Greek through Middle French and Latin, originally meaning something relating to an athlete. Its modern sense of referring to obstacle courses was later borrowed back into English via Japanese, where it had been clipped from the phrase "field athletic."