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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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

See Examples For:

Olympic Games

In the summer of $5,000 World Cup tickets, $10,000 Knicks seats, and preregistration for Olympic Games that remain two years away, these global spectacles are some of the last of their kind.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

As the Diamond League's CEO Petr Stastny tells BBC News, "the London Stadium is the site of the 2012 Olympic Games and as such one of the sport's most iconic modern venues".

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026

Adriana Valasis, an N+ reporter in Mexico City who has covered World Cups and the Olympic Games, has seen firsthand how the Mexican national team lifted the fans’ spirits and brought Mexican society together.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 5, 2026

An openly transgender woman competed in weightlifting at the Olympic Games in Tokyo that summer.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 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