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 , ō-​ \

Examples of Olympic Games in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Nine matches at the 2024 Olympic Games were played in Paris’ Parc de Prince stadium, 37 matches in the 2021 Olympics were played in the greater Tokyo area, 12 matches for the 2016 Games were held in Rio de Janeiro and Wembley Stadium hosted nine matches at the 2012 Games. —Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 16 Mar. 2026

Both men's and women's national team members are also expected to collaborate with Nike ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. —Kiki Intarasuwan, CBS News, 16 Mar. 2026

The company performed for 13,000 people in Millennium Park with Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble, was selected as the first dance company to ever appear at New York’s World Music Institute and danced at the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City. —Lauren Warnecke, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026

Hot off the heels of the Milan Cortina Olympic Games and with the Paralympic Games underway, EssilorLuxottica has had a major presence throughout the world of winter sports. —Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 12 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1586, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for Olympic Games

• aims
• blames
• claims
• dames
• fames
• flames
• frames
• hames
• kames
• lames
• names
• shames

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