goal

[ gohl ]

/ goʊl /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: goal / goals / goalless on Thesaurus.com

Definition of goal

noun

the result or achievement toward which effort is directed; aim; end: Her goal was clear—to get accepted to Yale.

the terminal point in a race.

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

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.

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

the score made by this act.

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

OTHER WORDS FOR goal

1 target; purpose, object, objective, intent, intention.

2 finish.

See synonyms for goal on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

SHALL WE PLAY A "SHALL" VS. "SHOULD" CHALLENGE?

Should you take this quiz on “shall” versus “should”? It should prove to be a quick challenge!

Question 1 of 6

Which form is commonly used with other verbs to express intention?

shall

should

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of goal

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

historical usage of goal

Goal has no reliable etymology. It appears for the first and only time in Middle English as gol “boundary, limit” in the mid-14th century. Some authorities suggest that gol was a borrowing from Middle French gaule, waulle “pole, stick,” from an unattested Germanic cognate of Old Frisian waal, walu “rod,” which is of no real help. The second recorded occurrence of goal, then spelled gole, is in the first half of the 16th century, with the meaning “finishing point of a race, finish line.” The extended sense “aim or purpose, outcome of effort or ambition” also dates from the first half of the 16th century. By the late 16th century, goal, at this point spelled goale, had also acquired the meaning, now obsolete, “starting point of a race,” a translation of one of the many meanings of Latin fīnis (which also meant “boundary, limit” and “finishing point of a race, finish line”).

OTHER WORDS FROM goal

goal·less, adjectivesub·goal, noun

Words nearby goal

go after, go against, go against the grain, go-ahead, go-ahead run, goal, goal area, goalball, goal crease, goaler, goalie

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

MORE ABOUT GOAL

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.

Where does goal come from?

The first records of goal come from around 1325. It comes from the Middle English gol, meaning a “boundary” or “limit.” Any earlier origin of the word goal is unknown.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to goal?

goalless (adjective)
subgoal (noun)

What are some synonyms for goal?

What are some words that share a root or word element with goal?

What are some words that often get used in discussing goal?

How is goal used in real life?

Goal is a common word used both for sports and tasks people are hoping to accomplish.

Will meet our goal of 175 GW of renewable energy well before target of 2022; now we are seeking to achieve 450 GW by 2030: PM Modi at G20

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 22, 2020

Yes I am resorting to whatever means necessary to get to the goal of €5k.

You can't judge me, it's for charity.

— James Keating (@landsleaving) December 18, 2020

44’ Goal!!! Pendleton scores!!! Bazan crosses the ball into the mix and Pendleton 14 yards out cleanly volleys it into the goal.#SKCvORD | 2-2

— Sporting KC Academy (@SKCAcademy) December 8, 2019

Try using goal!

Which of the following words is NOT a synonym of goal?

A. objective
B. setback
C. aim
D. target

How to use goal in a sentence

The goal is not just about being the Greatest Of All Time, Kan adds.
With Goat Capital, Justin Kan and Robin Chan want to keep founding alongside the right teams|Eric Eldon|September 17, 2020|TechCrunch
“My goal as a board member is to try to make sure we, as a school system, learn from this mistake and get better as a result,” she wrote in an email.
When a Calculus Class Abruptly Became Ceramics at Lincoln High|Scott Lewis|September 16, 2020|Voice of San Diego
Fed chair Jerome Powell first said last month that the Fed would seek inflation above 2% over time, rather than just keeping it as a static goal.
Fed leaves short-term interest rates unchanged at nearly zero|Lee Clifford|September 16, 2020|Fortune
DeChiaro joined Golf nearly a year-and-a-half ago and came in with the goal of making Golf less dependent on ad revenue.
‘One endless loop’: How Golf is using its new retail marketplace as a first-party data play|Kayleigh Barber|September 16, 2020|Digiday

Key to that goal is hammering home his ban on travel from China and his administration’s work to provide ventilators.
Trump, in town hall, says he wouldn’t have done anything differently on pandemic|Colby Itkowitz, Josh Dawsey, Felicia Sonmez, John Wagner|September 16, 2020|Washington Post
So however detailed the statistics of the battlefield are, they cannot achieve the goal.
Pentagon Doesn’t Know How Many People It’s Killed in the ISIS War|Nancy A. Youssef|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
So, as far as Mexican officials like Peña Nieto are concerned, the goal is to keep their countrymen here — and keep them happy.
Why Mexicans Are Enraged by Obama’s Big Tuesday Meeting|Ruben Navarrette Jr.|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The goal is to create a literary anatomy of the last century—or, to be precise, from 1900 to 2014.
The 2014 Novel of the Year|Nathaniel Rich|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
His goal: to make the perfect (and absolutely comfortable) high-heel, with the help from Nike CEO Mark Parker.
What, and Who, You'll Be Wearing in 2015|Justin Jones|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The NYPD remained his ultimate goal as he went to work as a carrier for Airborne Express/DHL and then as a school safety officer.
In The Shadow of Murdered Cops|Michael Daly|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I know I strive after the unattainable, but still every year I get nearer and nearer to the goal.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
Here again the first thing necessary is a clear vision of the goal towards which we are to strive.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
With a definite goal in mind at last, the children set out again with a better spirit.
The Box-Car Children|Gertrude Chandler Warner
With the next fellow as a goal, he gradually crept alongside, and passed him with a spurt.
The Box-Car Children|Gertrude Chandler Warner
He is a man who takes life seriously, and whom nothing will divert from the road that leads to the goal.
Friend Mac Donald|Max O'Rell

British Dictionary definitions for goal

goal

/ (ɡəʊl) /

noun

the aim or object towards which an endeavour is directed

the terminal point of a journey or race

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

sport

a successful attempt at scoring
the score so made

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

Derived forms of goal

goalless, adjective

Word Origin for goal

C16: perhaps related to Middle English gol boundary, Old English gǣlan to hinder, impede

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

goal

Definition of goal

OTHER WORDS FOR goal

Origin of goal

historical usage of goal

OTHER WORDS FROM goal

Words nearby goal

MORE ABOUT GOAL

What is a basic definition of goal?

Where does goal come from?

Did you know ... ?

How is goal used in real life?

Try using goal!

Words related to goal

How to use goal in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for goal

Derived forms of goal

Word Origin for goal