Paralympics

plural noun

Para·​lym·​pics ˌper-ə-ˈlim-piks How to pronounce Paralympics (audio)
ˌpa-rə-
: a series of international contests for athletes with disabilities that are associated with and held following the summer and winter Olympic Games

called also Paralympic Games

Paralympian noun
Paralympic adjective

Examples of Paralympics in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Making The Leap The records broken at this year’s Olympics and Paralympics belong to the athletes who worked the hardest and the smartest. George Murgatroyd, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024 Host nation France made history at the 2024 Paralympics in Paris, winning its first gold medal in the sport by defeating Argentina on penalties in the final. Sam Joseph, CNN, 29 Oct. 2024 According to the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), this was the first Paralympics in which all 22 sports received live media coverage. Mark Lasota, Ph.d., Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024 Here’s What To Do My conversation with Gorder was coincident with the Paralympics Games happening in Paris. Steven Aquino, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for Paralympics 

Word History

Etymology

para(plegic) + (O)lympics, later interpreted as para- entry 1 in sense "alongside of" + (O)lympics

First Known Use

1953, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Paralympics was in 1953

Dictionary Entries Near Paralympics

Cite this Entry

“Paralympics.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Paralympics. Accessed 15 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!