sportive

comparative more sportive · superlative most sportive

1. archaicLively; merry; spritely.

   Is it I That drive thee from the sportive court?

   c. 1604–1605 (date written), William Shakespeare, “All’s Well, that Ends Well”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]

2. Playful, coltish.
3. Interested in sport.
4. Sporty, good at sport.

plural sportives

1. cyclingSynonym of cyclosportive.

   1 more example

   Such incidents, part of the cherished mythology of the Tour's early years, are rare in modern cycling, although a 62-year-old local councillor was arrested and subsequently released after tacks had been scattered during the 2009 Etape Caledonia, a sportive held on closed roads in Scotland, causing countless punctures among the 3,500 riders.

   2012 July 15, Richard Williams, Tour de France 2012: Carpet tacks cannot force Bradley Wiggins off track, Guardian Unlimited

   Synonyms: cyclosportive