ENGLISH
REFERENCE

olympics

n. C / U
A1 Beginner US //oʊˈɫɪmpɪks// olympics Slang Vulgar

n. a major international sports competition held every four years where athletes from many countries compete for medals. It includes both summer and winter games.

n. a quadrennial international multi-sport event featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes participate. Always capitalised; usually treated as a plural noun.


SIMPLE

The athletes train for years to compete in the Olympics.

CONTEXTUAL

The city spent billions of dollars on infrastructure to prepare for hosting the Summer Olympics.

COMPLEX

While the Olympics serve as a platform for global athletic excellence, they also function as a complex geopolitical stage where national identities and international relations are performatively negotiated.

Synonyms
Origin

From Olympic + -s.

Usage

Usually plural in form and takes a plural verb. When used as a modifier before another noun, it remains singular in form (e.g., 'Olympic village').

Pitfall

He wants to go to the Olympic.He wants to go to the Olympics.When referring to the event itself, the word must be plural.

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