Paralympics

plural noun

Para·​lym·​pics ˌper-ə-ˈlim-piks 

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

ˌper-ə-ˈlim-pē-ən 

ˌpa-rə-

noun

Paralympic

ˌper-ə-ˈlim-pik 

ˌpa-rə-

adjective

Examples of Paralympics in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The volunteer period will span from March to August 2028 for the Olympics and August to September for the Paralympics. — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 17 June 2026

The United States, Canada, and Mexico are hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup matches, and Los Angeles is hosting the 2028 Olympics and Paralympics. — Harvard Business Review, 10 June 2026

The royals hosted a palace reception for the athletes who competed in the Winter Paralympics in Milan. — Marta Martínez Tato, Vanity Fair, 13 Apr. 2026

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

Rhymes for Paralympics

• olympics