basketball

noun

bas·​ket·​ball ˈba-skit-ˌbȯl How to pronounce basketball (audio)
often attributive
: a usually indoor court game between two teams of usually five players each who score by tossing an inflated ball through a raised goal
also : the ball used in this game

Examples of basketball in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Sue Phillips was celebrated over the weekend as one of the legends of women’s basketball. Joseph Dycus, The Mercury News, 29 Apr. 2024 Jaquez used to play with his siblings, too, but grew serious while at U.C.L.A., where the basketball players became chess-obsessed during COVID. Dan Greene, The New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for basketball 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'basketball.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1891, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of basketball was in 1891

Dictionary Entries Near basketball

Cite this Entry

“Basketball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/basketball. Accessed 3 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

basketball

noun
bas·​ket·​ball -ˌbȯl How to pronounce basketball (audio)
: a court game in which each of two teams tries to toss an inflated ball through a raised goal
also : the ball used in this game

More from Merriam-Webster on basketball

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!