Goal Definition & Meaning

American

British

Usage

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms goal American [gohl] / goʊl /

noun

1. the result or achievement toward which effort is directed; aim; end.

   Her goal was clear—to get accepted to Yale.

   Synonyms: intention, intent, objective, object, purpose, target

2. the terminal point in a race.

   Synonyms: finish

3. a pole, line, or other marker by which such a point is indicated.

4. an area, basket, cage, or other object or structure toward or into which players of various games attempt to throw, carry, kick, hit, or drive a ball, puck, etc., to score a point or points.

5. the act of throwing, carrying, kicking, driving, etc., a ball or puck into such an area or object.

6. the score made by this act.

7. #goals, goals. (used especially as a hashtag in social media in reference to things or people one aspires to or wants to emulate): Graduating debt-free is goals.

   My #goals have been forever altered by your new #thinspo profile pic.

   Graduating debt-free is goals.

   Got my kids to eat their pizza without picking off the spinach and mushrooms. #nutrition #goals #mommy #doingitright

goal British / ɡəʊl /

noun

1. the aim or object towards which an endeavour is directed

2. the terminal point of a journey or race

3. (in various sports) the net, basket, etc into or over which players try to propel the ball, puck, etc, to score

4. sport

   1. a successful attempt at scoring

   2. the score so made

5. (in soccer, hockey, etc) the position of goalkeeper

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

What is a basic definition of goal? A goal is an objective or target that someone is trying to reach or achieve. Goal is also the end point of a race or something that a player is trying to put an object into as part of a game. Goal has other senses as a noun.A goal is an aim or objective that you work toward with effort and determination.Real-life examples: People have many different kinds of goals. These include career goals, relationship goals, life goals, and educational goals. You might have a specific goal of learning how to play the guitar or saving up enough money to travel to another country.Used in a sentence: She completed her goal of renting her first apartment using her own money. Goal is also the final destination in a race.Real-life example: A three-mile race has competitors travel three miles before reaching the goal, or end of the race.Used in a sentence: The runner nearly passed out after finally reaching the goal. In this same sense, goal is also the line, stick, or anything else that marks this point in a race.Used in a sentence: The lead horse crossed the goal milliseconds before the runner-up. In sports, goal refers to a basket, net, cage, object, or area that a player is trying to move something to or put something into in order to score points. A player whose role is to prevent opposing players from doing this is called a goalkeeper, goaltender, or a goalie.Real-life examples: Soccer, ice hockey, field hockey, and lacrosse all have a goal that is a structure with a net that stops the ball or puck. A player scores points for their team if the ball or puck enters the area of the field that the goal occupies.Used in a sentence: Maddie kicked the soccer ball into the goal to win the game.Goal is also the act of scoring points by successfully getting an object into a goal.Used in a sentence: Sally scored two goals during the hockey game.

Other Word Forms

• goalless adjective
• subgoal noun

Etymology

Origin of goal

First recorded in 1325–50; Middle English gol “boundary, limit”; further origin uncertain; compare Old English gǣlan “to hinder, impede”

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

If reducing headcount is a worthy capitalist goal, Man-soo might simply be proving his worth as a manager in a more direct way.

From The Wall Street Journal

Morocco hosted play-offs last month and Gabon suffered a heavy loss to Nigeria while Cameroon conceded a late goal to be eliminated by the Democratic Republic of Congo.

From Barron's

Did you meet your financial goals from one year ago?

From MarketWatch

Justice Department officials have said their goal is preventing voter fraud and ensuring election integrity.

From The Wall Street Journal

Even after decades of research and billions of dollars in investment, no drug trial for Alzheimer's has ever been designed with the goal of reversing the disease and recovering cognitive abilities.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• ambition
• intention
• objective
• target

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.