e-sports

IPA/ˈiːˌspɔːts/
IPA/ˈiːˌspɔːrts/

e-sports — noun

1. organized video-game competition, usually played online for prize money and foll

1.nounB2
Definition

organized video-game competition, usually played online for prize money and followed by fans on streams or at live events

Example

Joon left school early to watch the e-sports final online with friends.

watch the e-sports final online

E-sports now fills large arenas when famous teams meet for world titles.

e-sports fill arenas for major finals

Common collocations
  • e-sports team
  • e-sports league
  • e-sports final
  • professional e-sports
Synonyms
  • competitive gaming

    a close equivalent that sounds slightly more descriptive and less headline-like

  • professional gaming

    narrower because it stresses paid or elite competition rather than the whole scene

Usage Note

Often used as an activity noun when talking about leagues, teams, streaming, or prize events. Use sense 2 when you mean one particular game title rather than the whole competitive field.

Common Mistakes

My brother does e-sports every night on his phone.
My brother plays games on his phone every night.
e-sports usually means organized competitive play, not ordinary casual gaming at home.

2. a video-game title selected for organized online matches and regular tournament

2.nounB2
Definition

a video-game title selected for organized online matches and regular tournament play

Example

League of Legends became the e-sport that drew the biggest crowd.

a specific game used as an e-sport

The publisher kept the e-sport fresh with new maps each year.

keep an e-sport fresh with updates

Common collocations
  • mobile e-sport
  • popular e-sport
  • new e-sport
  • team e-sport
Synonyms

Usage Note

Usually appears with a determiner such as a, the, or one before the name of the game. Distinguish this sense from sense 1, which names the competitive activity as a whole.

Common Mistakes

Basketball became a popular e-sport in our club.
A basketball video game became a popular e-sport in our club.
this sense refers to the game title, not the real-world sport.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These terms overlap, but they point to different parts of the video-game world. E-sports usually means organized competition with teams, leagues, rankings, prize money, and an audience. Competitive gaming is very close, but it sounds a little broader and can include serious play that is not part of a big public circuit. Online gaming is wider still: it can describe any game played over the internet, even a relaxed game with friends. The gaming scene is broader than all of them because it includes fans, creators, news, and events, not only competition. You can say, 'She wants a career in e-sports,' but 'The gaming scene in Taipei keeps growing.'

e-sports ↗competitive gamingonline gaminggaming scene

Etymology

English

E-sports is a modern English term built from the prefix-like letter e-, meaning electronic, and sports. The name began as a way to compare organized video-game competition with traditional sports because both involve teams, training, tournaments, and spectators. Over time, the term narrowed to the part of gaming that is structured, public, and competitive rather than casual play at home.

First known use

1999

1999, in the meaning defined above