basketball

noun

bas·​ket·​ball ˈba-skit-ˌbȯl 

often attributive

: a usually indoor court game between two teams of usually five players each who score by tossing an inflated ball through a raised goal

also : the ball used in this game

Examples of basketball in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Meanwhile, Arkansas head coach John Calipari unloaded on the current state of college basketball for allowing players to head back into college. —Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 10 Feb. 2026

Check out all the action through our lens by viewing our gallery of the Central vs Manual girls basketball game. —Ray Padilla, Louisville Courier Journal, 10 Feb. 2026

So, one point of emphasis for the Lakers was taking care of the basketball. —Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026

University of Arkansas men's basketball Coach John Calipari has ceased box-out drills. —Matt Byrne, Arkansas Online, 9 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1891, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing basketball

• fantasy football/baseball/basketball

Rhymes for basketball

• aerosol
• alcohol
• arbitral
• butanol
• cannonball
• carbinol
• catarrhal
• cortisol
• ethanol
• fireball
• gasohol
• guaiacol

Kids Definition

basketball

noun

bas·​ket·​ball -ˌbȯl 

: a court game in which each of two teams tries to toss an inflated ball through a raised goal

also : the ball used in this game