netball

American

[net-bawl] / ˈnɛtˌbɔl /

noun

Tennis. a ball, on a return shot, that hits the top of the net and drops on the other side of the court, thus remaining in play.
British. a game similar to basketball, played with a soccer ball, usually outdoors.

netball British

/ ˈnɛtˌbɔːl /

noun

a team game similar to basketball, played mainly by women

"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

Other Word Forms

netballer

noun

Etymology

Origin of netball

First recorded in 1895–1900; net ¹ + ball ¹

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.

See Examples For:

netball

Henley, a lecturer from the University of Auckland, has studied netball deeply, both locally and globally.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

The event remains "hugely important to netball", World Netball president Dame Liz Nicholl told BBC Sport, pointing out over 150,000 tickets were sold for netball at Birmingham 2022.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

Like basketball, netball began as a nine-a-side sport.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

If ambitious efforts come to fruition, netball will be rewarded with an Olympic Games debut at Brisbane 2032, "future-proofing" it for future generations.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

“And captain of my netball team. And I could arm wrestle kids older than me and beat them.”

From "Zara’s Rules for Record-Breaking Fun" by Hena Khan

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