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

Earlier on Friday, the University of South Carolina defeated North Carolina State to secure its berth in the NCAA women’s basketball national championship game. —Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 6 Apr. 2024

Alabama has never won a basketball college national championship title – the school is famous for its football team – and so is treading on new ground. —Ben Morse, CNN, 6 Apr. 2024

The women’s basketball world will descend on Cleveland for the national semifinals on April 5, and the championship game two days later. —Anne M. Peterson and Doug Feinberg, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Apr. 2024

The basketball standout’s decision puts to rest months of uncertainty surrounding his next move. —Anna Lazarus Caplan, Peoplemag, 5 Apr. 2024

Women's Final Fours are typically held at an NBA arena, while since 2009 the men's teams have played in NFL stadiums temporarily reconfigured to host a basketball game. —Becky Sullivan, NPR, 5 Apr. 2024

Bronny James has declared for the NBA draft while entering the transfer portal, giving him multiple options for the next step in his basketball career. —Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2024

After all, there’s now true scarcity — one basketball team, one football team, one baseball team — in a region that can support and afford two competent operations per Big Three sport. —Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 5 Apr. 2024

Bill Plaschke: JuJu Watkins is college basketball’s coolest player, with skills that could make her the sport’s next Caitlin Clark and raise USC to championship heights. —Christian Orozco, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1891, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing basketball

• fantasy football/baseball/basketball

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