goalkeeper

American  

[gohl-kee-per] / ˈgoʊlˌki pər /

noun

goalkeepers plural

1. (in ice hockey, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, etc.) a player whose chief duty is to prevent the ball or puck from crossing or entering the goal.

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goalkeeper British  

/ ˈɡəʊlˌkiːpə /

noun

1. sport a player in the goal whose duty is to prevent the ball, puck, etc, from entering or crossing it

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Usage

What does goalkeeper mean? In sports like soccer (football) and hockey, the goalkeeper is the player positioned in front of the goal whose job is to prevent the ball or puck from entering it (or crossing the goal line). Goalkeeper can be used to refer to the position or the player. A goalkeeper might say they play goalkeeper. A common informal word for goalkeeper is goalie. In some sports, a goalkeeper is called a goaltender. In soccer, the goalkeeper is sometimes called the keeper. Example: When I played soccer, I was the goalkeeper, and I was pretty good, especially because I was quick and had long arms for my age.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• goalkeeping
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• goalkeepers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of goalkeeper

First recorded in 1650–60; goal + keeper

Example Sentences

Nor is it the goalkeeper who had kept five straight clean sheets at this tournament.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 11, 2026

If the goalkeeper refuses to commit early, the penalty taker is forced into a late decision while taking his eyes off the ball at precisely the wrong moment, increasing the margin for error.

From BBC • Jul. 11, 2026

"I think this is a new era for us," Real Madrid goalkeeper Courtois, playing in his fourth World Cup, said before the USA victory.

From BBC • Jul. 10, 2026

The turning point came not on the pitch but on the Belgium bench, where coach Luis de la Fuente sent backup goalkeeper Senne Lammens on for an injured Thibaut Courtois in the 71st minute.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 10, 2026

I barely had to nudge it with my head to put it past the goalkeeper.

From "Facing the Lion" by Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton and Herman Viola