bracketology

[ brak-i-tol-uh-jee ]

noun

, Sports.

1. a system of diagrammatically predicting and tracking the process of elimination among sequentially paired opponents in a tournament, especially an NCAA basketball tournament.

Other Words From

• brack·et·ol·o·gist noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of bracketology¹

First recorded in 1995–2000; bracket ( def ) (in the sports sense of “a diagram for tracking advancement in tournament”) + -o- ( def ) + -logy ( def )

Example Sentences

While the advancement of artificial intelligence into everyday life has made “AI” one of the buzziest phrases of the past year, its application in bracketology circles is not so new.

From Seattle Times

He, like all others in said groups, speaks of bracketology like a toxic crush — with love, with agony, with an underlying knowledge of the human condition that attracts frustrating pursuit of the unattainable.

From Los Angeles Times

The Barking Crow, a reputable source for NIT bracketology, has WSU in the field as a No. 4 seed in its latest tournament projections.

From Seattle Times

Relative, in the way that bracketology is an ultimately tiny practice.

From Los Angeles Times

“Why do people care about anything in sports?” said Kevin Sweeney, a college hoops writer with Sports Illustrated, when asked why people care about bracketology.

From Los Angeles Times