Naismith

American

[ney-smith] / ˈneɪ smɪθ /

noun

James, 1861–1939, U.S. physical-education teacher and originator of basketball, born in Canada.

Naismith British

/ ˈneɪsmɪθ /

noun

James. 1861–1939, Canadian sportsman and coach; inventor of basketball

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

His regular-season wins are the sixth most in NBA history and he will be enshrined into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame this year.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

Olympic women’s basketball team will be enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame later this year.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026

For Scotland, Naismith admitted getting it right for "travel and humidity" was paramount.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

With the help of Charlotte assistant Dicker and Scotland assistant Steven Naismith, BBC Scotland gets the lowdown on "one of the best facilities in the MLS" and the national team's summer set-up.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

And he knew Naismith would allow time on most of the amount.

From The Valley of the Moon by London, Jack

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023