Goal Noun - Definition, Pictures, Pronunciation And Usage Notes

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Definition of goal noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

goal noun OPAL W  /ɡəʊl/  /ɡəʊl/ jump to other results

1. enlarge image  (in sports) a frame with a net into which players must kick or hit the ball in order to score a point
   • He headed the ball into an open goal (= one that had nobody defending it).
   • in goal Nicky Roberts was outstanding in goal (= as goalkeeper).
   • The goalkeeper was injured so a defender had to go in goal.
   Topics Sports: ball and racket sportsa2Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
   • open
   verb + goal
   • go in
   • play in
   preposition
   • in goal
   See full entry

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2.   the act of kicking or hitting the ball into the goal; a point that is scored for this
   • She scored twenty goals in her first season.
   • United conceded two goals in the first half.
   • Liverpool won by three goals to one.
   • The winning goal came in the 71st minute.
   • a penalty goal
   see also drop goal, field goal, golden goal, own goalExtra Examples
   • his first goal for Spain
   • Thuram scored one goal himself and made two for Martinez.
   • They scored three goals against the home team.
   • The second goal came from a penalty.
   • The referee disallowed the goal.
   • The fans were annoyed that the team gave away such a soft goal.
   • The equalizing goal came from Shaw.
   • Despite letting in a goal, our girls did not let up and we held on for a well-deserved tie.
   Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
   • brilliant
   • excellent
   • good
   • …
   verb + goal
   • get
   • score
   • kick
   • …
   goal + verb
   • come from somebody/​something
   preposition
   • goal against
   • goal for
   • goal from
   • …
   See full entry
3.   something that you hope to achieve synonym aim
   • to achieve/accomplish/reach a goal
   • My job is to help businesses meet their goals.
   • You need to set yourself some long-term goals.
   • Their goal was to eradicate malaria.
   • Their primary goal is to make a profit.
   • Our ultimate goal must be the preservation of the environment.
   • toward/towards a goal We are all working towards a common goal.
   Synonyms targettargetobjective ▪ goal ▪ object ▪ endThese are all words for something that you are trying to achieve.target a result that you try to achieve:
   • Set yourself targets that you can reasonably hope to achieve.
   • attainment targets in schools
   objective (rather formal) something that you are trying to achieve:
   • What is the main objective of this project?
   goal something that you hope to achieve:
   • He continued to pursue his goal of becoming an actor.
   target, objective or goal?A target is usually officially recorded in some way, for example by an employer or by a government committee. It is often specific, and in the form of figures, such as number of sales or exam passes, or a date. People often set their own objectives: these are things that they wish to achieve, often as part of a project or a talk they are giving. Goals are often long-term, and relate to people’s life and career plans or the long-term plans of a company or organization.object the purpose of something; something that you plan to achieve:
   • The object is to educate people about road safety.
   end something that you plan to achieve:
   • He joined the society for political ends.
   • That’s only OK if you believe that the end justifies the means (= bad methods of doing something are acceptable if the final result is good).
   End is usually used in the plural or in particular fixed expressions.Patterns
   • to work towards a(n) target/​objective/​goal
   • a(n) ambitious/​major/​long-term/​short-term/​future target/​objective/​goal
   • economic/​financial/​business targets/​objectives/​goals
   • to set/​agree on/​identify/​reach/​meet/​exceed a(n) target/​objective/​goal
   • to achieve a(n) target/​objective/​goal/​end
   Extra Examples
   • It is important to have explicit goals.
   • Our immediate goal is to earn enough money to keep the business going.
   • The prison service pursues the twin goals of the punishment and rehabilitation of offenders.
   • They have set themselves some ambitious goals.
   • their goal of providing free university education for everyone
   • He continued to pursue his goal of becoming a photographer.
   • The company has set itself some long-term organizational goals.
   Topics Successa2Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
   • immediate
   • short-term
   • long-term
   • …
   verb + goal
   • have
   • share
   • define
   • …
   preposition
   • goal of
   See full entry
Word OriginMiddle English (in the sense ‘limit, boundary’): of unknown origin.

See goal in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee goal in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic EnglishCheck pronunciation: goal

Other results

All matches

• own goal noun
• drop goal noun
• goal area noun
• goal kick noun
• goal line noun
• field goal noun
• golden goal noun
• goal poacher noun
• goal difference noun
• in-goal area noun
• goal-line technology noun
• goal areas
• goal kicks
• goal lines
• goal poachers
• goal poacher
• goal differences
• in-goal areas

See more

Nearby words

• go ahead phrasal verb
• go-ahead noun
• goal noun
• goal area noun
• goalball noun

mystery noun From the Topic Literature and writing B1 Oxford Learner's Dictionaries Word of the Day