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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But one basketball debate is hard to avoid in Chicago: Michael Jordan versus LeBron James. Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 8 July 2025 Kovacs agrees that there is a distinct correlation between height and a big serve, noting that the best players across the men’s and women’s games are now getting taller on average – a trend also seen across several other professional sports, such as basketball. Ben Church, CNN Money, 8 July 2025 Which is just a comment that for James to retire would be for the world’s most intelligent basketball player to stop doing what reinforces his genius more than any other activity. John Tamny, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025 Woodard, 65, is among the country’s most accomplished basketball players. Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 7 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for basketball

Word History

First Known Use

1891, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of basketball was in 1891

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Basketball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/basketball. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.

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!