olympiad
olympiad Lexical Profile
olympiad Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A celebration of the modern or ancient Olympic Games, held every four years.
"She trained rigorously for four years in hopes of competing in the summer olympiad."
A major, regularly scheduled international competition in an academic, scientific, or intellectual discipline, such as mathematics, physics, or chess.
"High school students from over ninety countries qualified for the International Mathematical Olympiad."
A period of four years between two successive celebrations of the ancient Olympic Games, used by the ancient Greeks as a unit for chronological reckoning.
"Ancient Greek historians often dated major political treaties according to the specific olympiad in which they were signed."
• Rhymes for olympiad
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed via Middle French and Latin from Ancient Greek Olympiás ('the Olympic games; a period of four years between games'), derived from Olympia, the sanctuary in Elis where the ancient athletic festival was held in honor of Zeus.