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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Georgia basketball will be heading to New York City later this year. Hunter Delauder, AJC.com, 30 May 2026 Incoming Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball players Taylen Kinney and Davion Adkins participated in six days of drills and scrimmages together at USA Basketball men’s Under 18 training camp in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Gary Bedore may 29, Kansas City Star, 29 May 2026 At 65, more than three decades into calling Knicks games, Breen will now reach another milestone, adding to what has been a Hall of Fame basketball life. Andrew Marchand, New York Times, 29 May 2026 When Sacramento was at risk of losing the Kings, some of the key forces fighting to keep pro basketball in town were the fans. Sacbee.com, 29 May 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 5 Jun. 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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