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Definition of basketball

basketball

/ˈbæs.kɪtˌbɔːl/
bas · ket · ball
Plural:basketballs
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basketball Lexical Profile

basketball Game Scores & Validity

• 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 basketball

• Nearby Words

basis
bask
basket
basketball
basketballer
basketful
basketlike

Word 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.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Basketball. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/basketball
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