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

Brock Wisne, for example, graduated with his classmates from the University of Northern Colorado in May and signed with a Spanish professional basketball team over the summer. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 21 Aug. 2026

In Minnesota, the transaction marks the second ownership shift for the basketball clubs in just a little over a year. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026

The last, written shortly after George Floyd’s death, implored people to listen to state-champion basketball coach Mike Bethea — a black man urging the public not to stereotype cops. — Matt Calkins Outkick, FOXNews.com, 21 Aug. 2026

McClung, who signed with Spain’s Bàsquet Girona earlier this month, is different from the rest of the league in that dunking is not his primary basketball focus. — Jason Jones, New York Times, 21 Aug. 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
• cortisol
• ethanol
• fireball
• gasohol
• gossypol
• 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