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
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.
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 Swimply, an Airbnb-style company, is letting people rent out pools and other private spaces, such as tennis and basketball courts. — Brittney Melton, NPR, 3 July 2026 Navratilova's girlfriend at the time, basketball star Nancy Lieberman, encouraged the divide. — Eileen Finan, PEOPLE, 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 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

Phrases Containing basketball

Rhymes for basketball

See All Rhymes for basketball

Browse Nearby Words

basket ash
basketball
basketballer
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Basketball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/basketball. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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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

More from Merriam-Webster on basketball

Nglish: Translation of basketball for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about basketball

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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