Olympic Games

American  

plural noun

1. Also called Olympian Games.  the greatest of the games or festivals of ancient Greece, held every four years in the plain of Olympia in Elis, in honor of Zeus.

2.  Olympics.  a modern international sports competition, held once every four years.

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Olympic Games British  

noun

1. the greatest Panhellenic festival, held every fourth year in honour of Zeus at ancient Olympia. From 472 _bc , it consisted of five days of games, sacrifices, and festivities

2. Also called: the Olympics.  the modern revival of these games, consisting of international athletic and sporting contests held every four years in a selected country since their inception in Athens in 1896 See also Winter Olympic Games

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Olympic Games Cultural  

1. Games held in ancient times on the plain of Olympia in Greece every four years. It was a time for laying aside political and religious differences, as athletes from all the Greek cities and districts competed. The games included patriotic and religious rituals as well as athletic contests, and high honors were given to the winners. The Greeks counted their years by olympiads (periods of four years) and dated events from the first Olympics in 776 b.c.

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Discover More

The Olympic Games deteriorated under Roman rule of Greece and were halted in the fourth century. They were revived in the late nineteenth century, with goals of peace and fellowship modeled on those of the ancient Olympics. The modern Olympics include many athletic events of the original games, such as the discus throw.

Etymology

Origin of Olympic Games

First recorded in 1600–10

Example Sentences

Cricket will be reintroduced at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026

“As the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles approach, we cannot allow what should be a celebration of honest sporting endeavor to be overshadowed by this cynical attempt to undermine clean sport,” Banka said.

From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026

Los Angeles previously passed a series of minimum-wage increases for airport and hotel workers that would have lifted hourly pay to at least $30 by mid-2028, just in time for the Olympic Games.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026

With an Olympic Games on the horizon, Warner Judd attempted an immediate return to running but soon discovered that her body was not up to the task.

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026

On March 18, two days before the Library Olympic Games were scheduled to start, Mrs. Yunghans, the middle school librarian, showed Team Kyle a viral video of Marjory Muldauer’s brilliant performance at the Midwest finals.

From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein