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.
Every time there was a track meet or a basketball game or some other event, Brian had to tell us all about it. — Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Oct. 2026 First, former Florida Atlantic University men’s basketball coach Dusty May is in his first season as the Mavericks’ head coach. — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2026 The high school basketball season begins in two weeks, yet players have been playing non-stop since the summer. — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026 Unfortunately, both of Atlanta’s professional basketball teams came up empty. — Lauren Williams, AJC.com, 25 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for basketball

Word History

First Known Use

1877, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of basketball was in 1877

Phrases Containing basketball

Rhymes for basketball

See All Rhymes for basketball

Browse Nearby Words

basket ash
basketball
basketballer
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Cite this Entry

“Basketball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/basketball. Accessed 27 Oct. 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

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about basketball

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