basketball

noun

bas·​ket·​ball ˈba-skit-ˌbȯl How to pronounce basketball (audio)
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
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In photos obtained by Page Six, guests including sportscaster Charissa Thompson and basketball legend Reggie King touted black boxes emblazoned with Swift and Kelce's initials. Hannah Malach, InStyle, 3 July 2026 After who-knows-how-many seasons of working the concessions stand at various football and basketball games, my grandmother became Williamsburg County famous for her hot dog chili. Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 3 July 2026 The Big 12 basketball tournament had been played in Kansas City in some fashion since the 1940s. Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 3 July 2026 This past month, when the entire city was in the grip of basketball mania, my eyes have felt newly refreshed by the abundance of royal blue and traffic-cone orange on the streets. Sheldon Pearce, New Yorker, 3 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for basketball

Word History

First Known Use

1891, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of basketball was in 1891

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Cite this Entry

“Basketball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/basketball. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

basketball

noun
bas·​ket·​ball -ˌbȯl How to pronounce basketball (audio)
: 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

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