Olympics
Olympics (name) means the Olympic Games, the major international multi-sport competition held every four years. Example: “The Winter Olympics feature sports like skiing and figure skating.”
name
1
The Olympic Games, the major international multi-sport competition held every four years.
"The Winter Olympics feature sports like skiing and figure skating."
"Millions watched the opening ceremony of the Olympics."
noun
1
Informally, any intense competition or rivalry, used loosely and often humorously.
"The office had its own olympics of who could avoid meetings the longest."
How to use Olympics
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe international sporting event held every four years, or loosely, any big competition.
Common pairings
Summer Olympics
Winter Olympics
host the Olympics
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Word forms
- Plural
- the Olympics
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The Winter _____ feature sports like skiing and figure skating.
Synonyms
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Frequently asked questions
What does “Olympics” mean?
The word “Olympics” means the Olympic Games, the major international multi-sport competition held every four years. In plain terms, the international sporting event held every four years, or loosely, any big competition.
How do you use “Olympics” in a sentence?
Here is “Olympics” used in a sentence: “The Winter Olympics feature sports like skiing and figure skating.”
What part of speech is “Olympics”?
Depending on how it is used, “Olympics” can be a name and a noun.
Is “Olympics” a common word?
“Olympics” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
How many meanings does “Olympics” have?
“Olympics” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the Olympic Games, the major international multi-sport competition held every four years.
How often are the Olympics held?
The Olympic Games take place every four years, a span sometimes called an Olympiad. Since 1994 the Summer and Winter Games have alternated on staggered four-year cycles, so a major Olympics actually occurs every two years — Summer, then Winter, then Summer again — keeping the event almost always on the horizon.
What is the difference between the Summer and Winter Olympics?
The Summer Olympics feature warm-weather sports such as athletics, swimming, gymnastics, and cycling, and are much larger. The Winter Olympics focus on snow and ice events like skiing, skating, and bobsleigh. Both run every four years but are staggered, so one set of Games happens every two years.
What is the difference between the Olympics and the Paralympics?
The Olympics is the main multi-sport event for able-bodied athletes, while the Paralympics is the parallel elite competition for athletes with disabilities, held shortly afterwards in the same host city. Both are pinnacle international events; the Paralympics has its own governing body, classifications, and full programme of sports.
Why are the Olympics important?
The Olympics is the world's foremost sporting event, drawing thousands of athletes from around 200 nations and a television audience of billions. Beyond sport, it carries ideals of international friendship, fair play, and excellence, and hosting the Games is a major source of national pride and investment.
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