# mathlete

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈmæθliːt/

## Definitions
1. A member of the math team of a primary school or secondary school.

## Etymology
Blend of mathematics + athlete. The term is a registered trademark of the MathCounts organization. The term entered pop culture from the movies American Pie (1999) and Mean Girls (2004), as well as being featured in the short-lived cult TV series Freaks and Geeks.
Mathletes was the name of a US national organization in the 1970s that sponsored high school mathematics competitions ("Mathletes") and junior high school competitions ("Junior Mathletes") between school teams known as "Math Teams". A team's news and results could be covered either under Sports (because it was a team competition) or Activities.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/mathlete