olympic
B1Formal to Neutral
Definition
Meaning
Of or relating to the Olympic Games, the major international sports competition held every four years.
Of or relating to the ancient Greek city of Olympia; denoting or relating to the ancient games held there; figuratively used to describe a feat of supreme physical or mental excellence, or something of a very high standard.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily used as a modifier in noun phrases (e.g., Olympic champion, Olympic spirit). As a proper adjective, it is always capitalized.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No major semantic differences. Minor orthographic preferences in compounds (e.g., 'Olympic-sized' vs. 'Olympic-size').
Connotations
Identical high-prestige connotations associated with international sport, peak performance, and global unity.
Frequency
Comparably high frequency in both varieties, with spikes during the Games period.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Olympic] + NOUN (as modifier)the [Olympic] + NOUN (as part of a proper name)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “to have Olympic-sized ambitions”
- “It's not the Olympic Games (used to tell someone not to treat a simple task as a major challenge)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
In marketing and sponsorship deals: 'a major Olympic sponsor'.
Academic
In history, sports science, and sociology: 'the political impact of the Olympic movement'.
Everyday
Discussing sports events and athletes: 'She's training for the Olympic trials.'
Technical
In sports administration, engineering (e.g., venue construction), and broadcasting.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- Verbal use is extremely rare and non-standard.
American English
- Verbal use is extremely rare and non-standard.
adverb
British English
- Adverbial use is not standard.
American English
- Adverbial use is not standard.
adjective
British English
- She carried the Olympic torch through London.
- He has genuine Olympic ambitions.
American English
- She made the Olympic team for swimming.
- The city built an Olympic-sized pool.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The Olympic Games are on television.
- The Olympic flag has five rings.
- She won an Olympic gold medal in gymnastics.
- The Olympic torch travels to many countries.
- Hosting the Olympic Games requires significant infrastructure investment.
- The athlete's Olympic dream was finally realised after years of sacrifice.
- The geopolitics of the Olympic movement have been contentious throughout its modern history.
- Her performance was of such a calibre that it was described as almost Olympian in its perfection.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'Oh, LIMP ICe?' -> No! Olympians are the opposite of limp; they are the peak (ic) of physical fitness.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE OLYMPICS ARE THE PEAK / SUMMIT (e.g., 'reaching Olympic heights', 'the pinnacle of her career').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating 'Olympic' as 'Олимпийский' for non-Games contexts where 'высший' or 'вершинный' (figurative) is better.
- Note that 'Olympic' is a proper adjective and is always capitalised in English, unlike the Russian adjectival form which is often written in lowercase.
Common Mistakes
- Using lowercase 'olympic'. *INCORRECT: 'an olympic medal'. CORRECT: 'an Olympic medal'.
- Using it as a standalone noun. *INCORRECT: 'She won an olympic.' CORRECT: 'She won an Olympic medal.'
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the CORRECT capitalisation?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it is a proper adjective derived from the name 'Olympia' and the 'Olympic Games', so it is always capitalised: Olympic champion, Olympic spirit.
Almost never in standard usage. It is almost exclusively an adjective. The noun forms are 'the Olympics' or 'the Olympic Games'.
'Olympic' refers to the Games, events, or related organisations. 'Olympian' is primarily a noun meaning a competitor in the Olympic Games, or an adjective meaning like a god from Mount Olympus or majestic.
The stress is on the second syllable: /əˈlɪm.pɪk/. The first syllable is a schwa sound, like the 'a' in 'about'.