soccer

American  

[sok-er] / ˈsɒk ər /

British, association football

noun

1. a form of football played between two teams of 11 players, in which the ball may be advanced by kicking or by bouncing it off any part of the body but the arms and hands, except in the case of the goalkeepers, who may use their hands to catch, carry, throw, or stop the ball.

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soccer British  

/ ˈsɒkə /

noun

1. Also called: Association Football. 

   1. a game in which two teams of eleven players try to kick or head a ball into their opponent's goal, only the goalkeeper on either side being allowed to touch the ball with his hands and arms except in the case of throw-ins

   2. ( as modifier )

      a soccer player

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Etymology

Origin of soccer

First recorded in 1890–95; (As)soc(iation football) + -er ⁷

Compare meaning

How does soccer compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Rugby vs. soccer

Explanation

Soccer is a sport that's played with a round black and white ball that players pass to each other using their feet. To win a soccer match, your side has to kick the ball into the goal more times than your rivals do. Go team! In most parts of the world, soccer is known as football, which makes sense since players (except the goalie) can't touch the ball with their hands — they mainly control and move it with their feet. In the U.S., however, football is a completely different sport, one that's known as American football everywhere else,. Soccer comes from socca, slang for Assoc., which is a shortened version of Association football.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

soccer

Higher gasoline prices as hostilities in the Middle East flared up were the biggest driver of cost pressures, though households also paid more in travel costs, due to a tailwind from the soccer World Cup.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

A girls' soccer school in Devon, a wedding in Alicante, a trip to the men's World Cup final in New Jersey and an eye-opening trip to Colombia's capital Bogota have occupied much of her time.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

For another, Formula 1 and soccer, sports frequently coded as elite and coastal, are experiencing booms of popularity across the country.

From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026

Hussey, a former soccer coach, had been the executive director for 10 years.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026

Owen and Leo are playing in this private soccer league—Nordic Post—so they’re always at training or practice or traveling to games.

From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz