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

This wasn’t the prettiest showing of Dream basketball, but their ability to share the load carried them through. — Micahya Costen, AJC.com, 1 Aug. 2026

There’s a playground, basketball courts, tennis courts and six softball fields. — Charlotte Observer, 1 Aug. 2026

While the ruling in Tennessee applied to those 19 basketball players, the one in Colorado cast a wider net, granting the class certification the plaintiffs sought. — ABC News, 31 July 2026

Girls were finally given permission and resources, and every subsequent boom in women's sports has followed that identical script across soccer, basketball, and now cycling. — Lindsey Darvin, Forbes.com, 31 July 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