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Definition of basketball
basketball
/ˈbæs.kɪtˌbɔːl/
bas · ket · ball
Plural:basketballs
basketball Lexical Profile
CEFR
A1
Grade
2
Tier
1
Usage
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WWF
Wordle Guess
• noun
1
A team sport played on a rectangular court where two teams, usually of five players each, compete to score points by shooting a ball through an elevated hoop.
Example
"She practices basketball every evening at the community center in hopes of earning a college scholarship."
2
The spherical, inflated ball used in the game of basketball, characteristically orange with a pebbled rubber or leather surface and black ribs.
Example
"The coach asked the equipment manager to inflate the basketballs before the start of practice."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for basketballWord Origin & Etymology
Coined in 1891 by James Naismith, a Canadian physical education instructor in Springfield, Massachusetts, who invented the game using two peach baskets and a soccer ball.
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Basketball. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 14, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/basketball