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.
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 biggest of all may be the four-point field goal.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 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
Myers kicked a 33-yard field goal following the Seahawks’ opening drive for a 3-0 lead at 11:58 in the first quarter.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 8, 2026
The Seagulls had never gotten the ball close enough for Erik to try a field goal.
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.
