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.
The Arkansas men’s basketball coach had just led the No. 10 seed Razorbacks to a 75-66 victory over No. 2 seed St. John’s in an NCAA tournament West Regional second round game. Tim Casey, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025 Start with a $10 wager on college basketball to secure $100 in bonus bets, plus a free trial for ESPN+. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 22 Mar. 2025 Virginia has apparently found its new head basketball coach in a crazy sense of irony. Ryan Morik, Fox News, 22 Mar. 2025 Batt possesses impressive fundraising experience — a key disconnect between men’s basketball coach Kevin Willard and Evans — at Georgia Tech and his previous stops. Taylor Lyons, Baltimore Sun, 22 Mar. 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Basketball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/basketball. Accessed 28 Mar. 2025.

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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!