personal foul
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of personal foul
First recorded in 1820–30
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.
There were numerous 15-yard personal foul penalties for taunting, late hits, grabbing the face mask and a horse collar.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 23, 2025
“He knows that we have his back,” said Bozeman, who was called for a personal foul and described Shepherd’s play as “unacceptable.”
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 28, 2024
The unnecessary roughness penalty was the third personal foul on Greenlaw this season and his ejection was his second in the past two years.
From Washington Times • Dec. 9, 2023
Mahomes had a 10-yard run and got hit by Jonathan Owens while going out of bounds, leading to a personal foul that put the ball at Green Bay’s 45.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 3, 2023
The lone fine, revealed by the league Saturday, was levied on Washington cornerback Emmanuel Forbes for a personal foul on a hit to the helmet of Seahawks receiver Tyler Lockett.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 18, 2023
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.
