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 , ō-​ \

Examples of Olympic Games in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Iraq took fourth at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, defeating a Portugal team that featured a teenage Cristiano Ronaldo in group play. —Julian Cardillo, Boston Herald, 15 June 2026

Like many short-term rental hosts across metro Atlanta, Gross is preparing to welcome guests for the FIFA World Cup, bandied about for years as a major tourism draw, the largest sporting event in the city since the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games. —Amy Wenk, AJC.com, 12 June 2026

With just over two years remaining until the Opening Ceremony of the 2028 Olympic Games, the countdown has entered a new phase. —Tim Genske, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026

The sport’s popularity has been surging, and it is set to debut at the 2028 Olympic Games. —Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1586, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for Olympic Games

• aims
• blames
• claims
• dames
• fames
• flames
• frames
• hames
• kames
• lames
• names
• shames

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