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Olympiad

Olympiad

6 6.3
A large international sports event held every four years in one country
  • noun
  • /oʊˈlɪm.pi.æd/
translation icon : olimpiada
  • The athletes from around the world gathered to compete in the Olympiad held in Tokyo this year.
  • Mathematical Olympiad
  • International Olympiad
  • Olympiad winners

Examples

  • The upcoming Olympiad will feature various sports, including swimming, athletics, and gymnastics.

  • The International Math Olympiad recognizes world-class teams who compete for individual and group honors.

    Academic text (1997)
  • This week the Science Olympiad took place in Town Creek.

  • Welcome to the Greek Olympiad!

  • At the high school level are the International Chemistry Olympiad and the International Physics Olympiad.

    Academic text (1990)
  • By attracting such worldwide participation, the Olympiad is helping to set an international standard of excellence for students in physics.

    Academic text (1993)
  • There are Mathematical Olympiads for elementary schools, and so on.

    Academic text (1990)
  • Every four years, nations send their best athletes to participate in the Olympiad, showcasing their skills and competitive spirit.

Synonyms

Olympics
vsOlympiad
829 2.1

An international sports event held every four years where athletes from many countries compete

focuses on the revival aspect and that a specific country hosts it
Olympic Games
vsOlympiad
42 1.1

A large international sports event held every four years where athletes from many countries compete

emphasizes the modern revival and being hosted in a selected country

Surface Forms

Olympiad singular
Olympiads plural

Morphology

Olympiad = Olympic (opaque) = Olymp + iad

The term 'Olympiad' is not transparently derived from 'Olympic' for most learners, as 'iad' is not a productive suffix in English.

Etymology

Olympiad comes from the Greek place Olympia, where the ancient Olympic Games were held. The name was later used for the modern, international games held 'every four years', so Olympiad now often means the big Olympic event held once in each four-year cycle.