field goal
Americannoun
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Football. a three-point goal made by place-kicking or drop-kicking the ball between the opponent's goalposts above the crossbar.
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Basketball. a goal made while the ball is in play.
noun
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basketball a goal scored while the ball is in normal play rather than from a free throw
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American football a score of three points made by kicking the ball through the opponent's goalposts above the crossbar
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of field goal
First recorded in 1890–95
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.
His 15.3 field goal attempts per game was a career low, and he was ineligible for end-of-season awards because he missed 22 regular-season games, ending his streak of 21 years with All-NBA honors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026
During his final season of collegiate basketball in 2011-12, he was the most accurate sharpshooter in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics with a 48.1% three-point field goal percentage.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 20, 2026
The Trojans went six straight minutes in the first without a field goal, then gave up an 8-0 run to Indiana in the final 1:22 of the quarter.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 13, 2026
In a first half in which offensive fireworks were conspicuously absent, Walker delivered runs of 29 and 30 yards in the course of three plays to set up Seattle's second field goal.
From Barron's ● Feb. 9, 2026
Most of the records belonged to Antoine Thomas, but Erik Fisher was in there for the longest field goal, the highest field-goal percentage in a season, and the most extra points in a season.
From "Tangerine" by Edward Bloor
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.
