goal

American  

[gohl] / goʊl /

noun

• goals
  plural

1. the result or achievement toward which effort is directed; aim; end.

   Her goal was clear—to get accepted to Yale.

   Synonyms:

   intention, intent, objective, object, purpose, target

2. the terminal point in a race.

   Synonyms:

   finish

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

4. 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.

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

6. the score made by this act.

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

   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

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goal British  

/ ɡəʊl /

noun

1. the aim or object towards which an endeavour is directed

2. the terminal point of a journey or race

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

4. sport

   1. a successful attempt at scoring

   2. the score so made

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

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Usage

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. 

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• subgoal
  noun
• goalless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• goals
  plural

Etymology

Origin of goal

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

Explanation

The goal is the intention of an activity or a plan. In a figurative sense, a goal is the mission of a person or group. A tangible goal could be the net at one end of a soccer field. Your goal is to kick the ball into the net, and then you will have scored a goal. Goal used to mean "the end point of a race." When you score a goal during a sporting event, the play does momentarily stop. If your goal is to win the presidency and you are in fact elected, you have achieved that goal. A goal is the reason for your efforts. People set goals in all aspects of their lives, not just in scoring points. "Her goal is to eat 40 cupcakes in one day." Go figure.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

goal goals

First, several officials, in forecasts released in June and speeches since, have said they expect inflation will return to their 2% goal without tighter policy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

The Wales winger joined Tottenham Hotspur from Nottingham Forest for a fee in excess of £45m in 2023 and scored their winning goal in the Europa League final last May before moving to the Eagles.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

As one of the baby monitoring companies states, its goal is “Turning infant health data into peace of mind for parents.”

From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026

That large infusion, along with thousands of smaller donations, surpassed the fundraising goal.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

“And I do understand that you’re busy. But my primary goal in coming here was to speak with you.”

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

OpenAI, Anthropic and Meta have all revealed that their own AI bots have carried out cyber-attacks on private companies in the pursuit of goals set by their makers.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

The goals covered everything from targets for store openings to sales figures and margins to 2030, and they were increasingly challenging to meet in the current environment, Chief Financial Officer Kurt Barton told Jennifer.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

The 21-year-old had a seriously impressive 2025-26 season for Juventus, scoring 11 goals and registering 10 assists in 47 appearances in all competitions.

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

From the World Cup and “The Odyssey” to “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” we’re finally all watching the same things, giddily cheering for goals and legendary heroes, be they super or otherwise.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

The items attached to the crates, however, were even more vital to the excavation’s goals.

From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler

Related Words

• ambition
• intention
• objective
• target