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

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Her father, Tomasz, represented Poland in rowing at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, and her sister, Agata, competed as a junior tennis player until 2013. Grace Jordan-Weinstein, People.com, 12 July 2025 During his career González, called World Cups, Olympic Games, Pan American Games, games of his beloved Guatemala national team, as well as the U.S. national team. Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2025 The 16-time All-American artistic gymnast recently returned to the UCLA gymnastics team for the 2025 season after taking a break to train for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. John Lawson, Essence, 5 July 2025 The strategic Atlantic coastal land remains earmarked for potential new projects, which may gain urgency as the nation prepares for the 2026 Youth Olympic Games and seeks to boost tourism. Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for Olympic Games

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

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Cite this Entry

“Olympic Games.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Olympic%20Games. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.

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

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