name of the game

American  

noun

Informal.

1. the essential element, consideration, or ultimate purpose; key.

   Profit is the name of the game in business.

---

Etymology

Origin of name of the game

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

Patience was the name of the game for England after Ben Duckett and Rehan Ahmed lost theirs, but Root produced a masterclass in it.

From BBC

Flexibility is the name of the game, second only to talent.

From Salon

“Fractures, fluid, pathways, permeability, that’s kind of the name of the game for us,” said Nils Caliandro, the lead geologist for Big Blind.

From The Wall Street Journal

Winning is the name of the game in football, so - unsurprisingly - a poor run of results is often the main factor in a manager getting the sack.

From BBC

"The name of the game for our future meetings remains full optionality," Villeroy said at a Bank of France speech earlier this month.

From Barron's