Meanings
plural modern pentathlons
- uncountableusuallyAn athletics event where athletes compete in épée fencing, shooting, freestyle swimming, show jumping and cross country.
1 more example
Dwindling interest and a reputation for being outdated couldn’t change modern pentathlon. A brief video clip of a coach punching a horse at the Tokyo Olympics has altered it forever. After more than a century of having its participants compete by running, shooting, fencing, swimming and riding, modern pentathlon will drop equestrian jumping from the event, the sport’s federation said Thursday.
2021 March 11, Victor Mather, “Modern Pentathlon Drops Equestrian Competition After Abuse Claims”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 05 Nov 2025Synonyms: pentathlon
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAn athletics event where athletes compete in épée fencing, shooting, freestyle swimming, show jumping and cross country.
Translations
Chinese Mandarin 現代五項 /现代五项
- 現代五項 /现代五项 (xiàndài wǔxiàng)athletics event
Dutch vijfkamp, moderne vijfkamp
- vijfkampathletics event
- moderne vijfkampathletics event
Finnish nykyaikainen viisiottelu
- nykyaikainen viisiotteluathletics event
French pentathlon moderne
- pentathlon moderneathletics event
Hungarian öttusa
- öttusaathletics event
Japanese 近代五種
- 近代五種 (kindai goshu)athletics event
Korean 근대오종
- 근대오종 (geundae'ojong)athletics event
Polish pięciobój nowoczesny
- pięciobój nowoczesnyathletics event
Romanian pentatlon modern
- pentatlon modernathletics event
Russian современное пятиборье, спортивное пятиборье
- современное пятиборье (sovremennoje pjatiborʹje)athletics event
- спортивное пятиборье (sportivnoje pjatiborʹje)athletics event
Spanish pentatlón moderno
- pentatlón modernoathletics event
Ukrainian суча́сне п'ятибо́рство
- суча́сне п'ятибо́рство (sučásne pʺjatybórstvo)athletics event
Cite this entry
modern pentathlon. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/modern%20pentathlon
“modern pentathlon.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/modern%20pentathlon. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “modern pentathlon,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/modern%20pentathlon.
Source: modern pentathlon on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.