basketball

American  

[bas-kit-bawl, bah-skit-] / ˈbæs kɪtˌbɔl, ˈbɑ skɪt- /

noun

basketballs plural

1. a game played by two teams of usually five players each on a rectangular court having a raised basket or goal at each end, points being scored by tossing the ball through the opponent's basket.

2. the round, inflated ball approximately 30 inches (76 centimeters) in circumference, used in this game.

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basketball British  

/ ˈbɑːskɪtˌbɔːl /

noun

1. a game played by two opposing teams of five men (or six women) each, usually on an indoor court. Points are scored by throwing the ball through an elevated horizontal metal hoop

2. the inflated ball used in this game

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• probasketball
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• basketballs
  plural

Etymology

Origin of basketball

An Americanism dating back to 1890–95; basket + ball ¹

Explanation

Basketball is a team sport in which players work together to bounce a ball down the length of a court and throw it through a hoop. Some college basketball games are hugely popular and very competitive. In basketball, two teams of five players collaborate to score points by successfully throwing the ball — also called a basketball — through the nets that hang from hoops at either end of the court. The game was invented in 1891, and the word basketball first appeared in print the next year, from basket and ball.

Example Sentences

The first round of the NBA draft begins tonight, with young players who have honed their basketball skills for years ready to be rewarded for all their hard work.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 23, 2026

Kayden played basketball at recess for the first time.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 22, 2026

“When we traded James and when we traded Zu, those were incredibly hard and difficult situations,” Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank told reporters after the season.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 21, 2026

It combines elements of a museum and reading room with community centre amenities such as a playground, basketball court, recording studio and public library.

From BBC • Jun. 18, 2026

And there is the guy with shaggy hair shooting a basketball into a hoop.

From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko

Related Words

• ball