Olympic Games

plural noun

1
: an ancient Panhellenic festival held every fourth year and made up of contests of sports, music, and literature with the victor's prize a crown of wild olive
2
: a modified revival of the ancient Olympic Games consisting of international athletic contests that are held at separate winter and summer gatherings at four year intervals

called also Olym*pics\ ə-​ˈlim-​piks How to pronounce Olympic Games (audio) , ō-​ \

Examples of Olympic Games in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Our technology has quietly powered past Olympic Games, including Paris 2024. Billee Howard, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025 It will also be added to the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Jessica Golden, CNBC, 25 June 2025 On Monday, June 23, the 11-time Olympic medalist, 28, shared a series of Instagram Stories to commemorate Olympic Day, which celebrates the 1948 revival of the games after the last Olympic Games were held in Paris on June 23, 1894. Charna Flam, People.com, 24 June 2025 Jones was fourth in the 100 hurdles at the 2012 Olympic Games in London before switching to bobsled, winning the mixed team gold medal at the 2013 World Championships. Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 21 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for Olympic Games

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1586, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Olympic Games was circa 1586

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Cite this Entry

“Olympic Games.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Olympic%20Games. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

Olympic Games

plural noun
1
: an ancient Greek festival held every fourth year and made up of contests in sports, music, and literature
2
: a series of international athletic contests held in a different country during the summer and the winter once every four years

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