Olympic Games

plural noun

1
: an ancient Panhellenic festival held every fourth year and made up of contests of sports, music, and literature with the victor's prize a crown of wild olive
2
: a modified revival of the ancient Olympic Games consisting of international athletic contests that are held at separate winter and summer gatherings at four year intervals

called also Olym*pics\ ə-​ˈlim-​piks How to pronounce Olympic Games (audio) , ō-​ \

Examples of Olympic Games in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Other events had set that in motion in the past, including the 1992 Olympic Games. Jennifer Weil, WWD, 9 Oct. 2024 Paris, France Paris got lots of attention this summer as the host of the 2024 Olympic Games, but its moment in the spotlight continues with the reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral in December, five years after a devastating fire. Sandra MacGregor, Forbes, 13 Oct. 2024 The airline is an inaugural founding partner of the 2028 Olympic Games in L.A., and is also the official airline of Team USA. Rachel Desantis, People.com, 11 Oct. 2024 Sørensen competed at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, finishing ninth in the ice dance competition with Beaudry. Ben Morse, CNN, 4 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for Olympic Games 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Olympic Games.' 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

circa 1586, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Olympic Games was circa 1586

Dictionary Entries Near Olympic Games

Cite this Entry

“Olympic Games.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Olympic%20Games. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

Olympic Games

plural noun
1
: an ancient Greek festival held every fourth year and made up of contests in sports, music, and literature
2
: a series of international athletic contests held in a different country during the summer and the winter once every four years

More from Merriam-Webster on Olympic Games

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