Meanings
alternative callisthenics
- in pluralpluralsingularPhysical exercises with the participation of a multitude of muscles and often minimal equipment (thus, usually bodyweight exercises); strength training aspects and cardio aspects are both involved, and stamina is often a focus.
Just before sacktime, the Captain stood beside his sleeping bag doing his daily calisthenics; stripped down to his flaming red long johns, […]
1968, Seon Manley, Gogo Lewis, Polar Secrets: A Treasury of the Arctic and Antarctic, page 1051 more example
The husband-hunt had been a failure. Carlo had taken at least a dozen potential Misters Right on test runs of longer or shorter duration—perhaps a few lines of IM [instant messaging], perhaps a couple of promising dates, or sexual calisthenics.
2005 December 7, Scott & Scott [pseudonym; Scott Pomfret; Scott Whittier], chapter 8, in Nothing Personal (Romentics: A Novel Approach to Gay Romance), [North Charleston, S.C.]: BookSurge, →ISBN, page 50 - pluralsingularA system of such exercises.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounlight exercises designed to promote general fitness
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekκᾰλός (kălós)
- Ancient Greekκάλλος (kállos)
- Ancient Greekσθένος (sthénos)
- Englishcalisthenics
From Ancient Greek κάλλος (kállos, “beauty”) + σθένος (sthénos, “strength”) + English -ics.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian калисте́ника, физзаря́дка
- калисте́ника (kalisténika)a system of such exercises
- физзаря́дка (fizzarjádka)a system of such exercises
- калисте́ника (kalisténika)type of exercise
- физзаря́дка (fizzarjádka)type of exercise
Catalan cal·listènia
- cal·listèniatype of exercise
Chinese Mandarin 柔軟體操 /柔软体操, 健美操
- 柔軟體操 /柔软体操 (róuruǎn tǐcāo)type of exercise
- 健美操 (jiànměicāo)type of exercise
Czech kalistenika, cvičení s vlastní vahou
- kalistenikatype of exercise
- cvičení s vlastní vahoutype of exercise
Finnish voimistelu, kehonpainoharjoittelu
- voimistelutype of exercise
- kehonpainoharjoittelutype of exercise
French callisthénie
- callisthénietype of exercise
German Calisthenics, Eigengewichtsübungen
- Calisthenicstype of exercise
- Eigengewichtsübungentype of exercise
- Körpergewichtsübungentype of exercise
- Spannungsübungentype of exercise
Greek καλλισθενική γυμναστική
- καλλισθενική γυμναστική (kallisthenikí gymnastikí)type of exercise
Hungarian erősítő torna, kalisztenika
- erősítő tornaa system of such exercises
- kalisztenikaa system of such exercises
- testsúlygyakorlattype of exercise
- tornagyakorlattype of exercise
Icelandic leikfimiæfingar
- leikfimiæfingartype of exercise
Italian callistenia, calisthenics
- callisteniatype of exercise
- calisthenicstype of exercise
Japanese 美容体操
- 美容体操 (biyō taisō)type of exercise
Latvian vingrošana
- vingrošanatype of exercise
Polish kalistenika, kalistenika
- kalistenikaa system of such exercises
- kalistenikatype of exercise
Portuguese calistenia
- calisteniatype of exercise
Russian заря́дка, гимна́стика
- заря́дка (zarjádka)type of exercise
- гимна́стика (gimnástika)type of exercise
- ворка́ут (vorkáut)type of exercise
- калисте́ника (kalisténika)type of exercise
Spanish calistenia
- calisteniatype of exercise
Cite this entry
calisthenics. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/calisthenics
“calisthenics.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/calisthenics. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “calisthenics,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/calisthenics.
Source: calisthenics on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.