Paralympics

plural noun

Para·​lym·​pics ˌper-ə-ˈlim-piks How to pronounce Paralympics (audio)
ˌpa-rə-
: a series of international contests for athletes with disabilities that are associated with and held following the summer and winter Olympic Games

called also Paralympic Games

Paralympian noun
Paralympic adjective

Examples of Paralympics in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Watch the Paris Olympics and Paralympics this summer on NBC and Peacock. Natasha Dye, Peoplemag, 5 Mar. 2024 The tower features prominently in this summer’s Paris Games and Paralympics. Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024 The tower will feature prominently in the July 26-Aug. 11 Paris Games and the following Paralympics. Nicolas Garriga, Quartz, 21 Feb. 2024 The Paralympics medal, meanwhile, is decorated with a graphical representation of the Eiffel Tower, as if viewed from below. Oscar Holland, CNN, 8 Feb. 2024 Announcing the British Olympian deal on Feb. 12, Team Great Britain and Paralympics Great Britain said having TikTok as an official partner would help their athletes to connect with new audiences and grow their fanbase. Sheila Dang and David Shepardson, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Feb. 2024 Athletes who win medals at the 2024 Summer Olympics and Paralympics in Paris won’t just win gold, silver or bronze. Aurelien Breeden, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2024 Last July, Olympics organizers announced that the Olympic torch will be the first in Games history to be used for both the Olympics and Paralympics. Oscar Holland, CNN, 8 Feb. 2024 But not everyone has welcomed news of the partnership – which covers the next three Olympics and Paralympics in Paris, Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo and Los Angeles – with such enthusiasm. George Ramsay, CNN, 31 Jan. 2024

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

Word History

Etymology

para(plegic) + (O)lympics, later interpreted as para- entry 1 in sense "alongside of" + (O)lympics

First Known Use

1953, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Paralympics was in 1953

Dictionary Entries Near Paralympics

Cite this Entry

“Paralympics.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Paralympics. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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!