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
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In one demonstration, the robot held a basketball positioned away from its center of gravity. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2026 Top basketball executive Lawrence Frank has been banned for six months. — Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026 In each case, a basketball with a sparkle icon indicates material coming from the cloud. — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 19 Oct. 2026 For just the fifth time in school history, the Miami Hurricanes men’s basketball team will begin the season ranked. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 19 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

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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 20 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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