Paralympics

American  

[par-uh-lim-piks] / ˌpær əˈlɪm pɪks /

plural noun

1. Paralympic Games.

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Paralympics British  

/ ˌpærəˈlɪmpɪks /

plural noun

1. Also known as: the Parallel Olympics.  a sporting event, modelled on the Olympic Games, held solely for disabled competitors

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Usage

What are the Paralympics? The Paralympics, formally called the Paralympic Games, are an international athletic competition featuring multiple sporting events between athletes with a range of bodily differences and disabilities. The event is modeled after the Olympic Games, featuring the world’s top athletes in their sports, with the top three finishers in each event being awarded medals: gold for first place, silver for second place, and bronze for third place. Like the Olympics, there are Winter and Summer versions of the Paralympics, and they are usually held after the corresponding Olympic event in the same city. The Winter Paralympics feature winter sports, including skiing, snowboarding, ice hockey, and many others. The Summer Paralympics feature traditionally warm weather and indoor sports, like track and field, swimming, and wheelchair basketball, among many others. Eligibility for and competition in the Paralympics is based on categories that involve bodily differences and different types of disabilities, including those related to muscle power and movement, range of movement, limb differences, visual impairment, and intellectual disabilities. Athletes who compete in the Paralympics can be called Paralympians.

Etymology

Origin of Paralympics

C20: _parallel + _Olympics

Example Sentences

That event will be followed by the longest Paralympic Games in history and the first Paralympics in L.A.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026

The government has commissioned UK Sport to conduct an "initial strategic assessment" into a potential bid for the north of England to host the Olympics and Paralympics in the 2040s.

From BBC • May 16, 2026

Following his injury he took up handcycling and won two golds in the Paralympics in London in 2012 before doing the same in Rio de Janeiro four years later.

From BBC • May 2, 2026

LA28 will have 14 million tickets available across the Olympics and Paralympics, so taken in total, the average ticket for the Games would have to be roughly $179 to reach the budget estimate.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026

LA28 will have 14 million tickets available between the Olympics and Paralympics, which would break Paris 2024’s record of 12 million tickets sold.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026