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

In new work focused on Los Angeles, the artist explores the intersection between media, spectacle, architecture and the body ahead of the city hosting the 2028 Olympic Games. — Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026

And though national team kits will be worn, there are no quotas for each country, unlike at an Olympic Games where there’s a limit of three per nation per event. — Liam Tharme, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026

For decades, track moved to that rhythm — an Olympic year sandwiched between years featuring world championships — and left the middle year between Olympic Games free of major international events. — ABC News, 11 Sep. 2026

Their paths cross during the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, and what begins as an unexpected romance develops into an impossible love that must navigate public scrutiny, royal tradition, and the expectations of the Swedish monarchy. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 10 Sep. 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