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 South Carroll boys basketball had just gone through a brutal stretch. Timothy Dashiell, Baltimore Sun, 24 May 2024 Braylon Mullins has received a steady stream of men’s basketball scholarship offers — including one from Kansas coach Bill Self — this week following an outstanding performance at last weekend’s Adidas 3SSB tournament in Texas. Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 24 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for basketball 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'basketball.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1891, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of basketball was in 1891

Dictionary Entries Near basketball

Cite this Entry

“Basketball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/basketball. Accessed 29 May. 2024.

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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