soccer

American  

[sok-er] / ˈsɒk ər /

British, association football

noun

1. a form of football played between two teams of 11 players, in which the ball may be advanced by kicking or by bouncing it off any part of the body but the arms and hands, except in the case of the goalkeepers, who may use their hands to catch, carry, throw, or stop the ball.

---

soccer British  

/ ˈsɒkə /

noun

1. Also called: Association Football. 

   1. a game in which two teams of eleven players try to kick or head a ball into their opponent's goal, only the goalkeeper on either side being allowed to touch the ball with his hands and arms except in the case of throw-ins

   2. ( as modifier )

      a soccer player

---

Etymology

Origin of soccer

First recorded in 1890–95; (As)soc(iation football) + -er ⁷

Compare meaning

How does soccer compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Rugby vs. soccer

Example Sentences

"At that point, I thought rugby was a weird European word for soccer, right?" she says.

From BBC

The tiny nation of Suriname has been sending its soccer stars to the World Cup for decades.

From The Wall Street Journal

Plan something around a shared interest, like soccer or baseball, where they’re enjoying the sport together and they don’t have to sit and talk in a high-pressure way — they can just have fun.

From Los Angeles Times

Bior studied computer science at the North Carolina campus during his freshman year and was a winger on an intramural soccer team.

From The Wall Street Journal

Inter Milan is hoping to join Paris Saint-Germain and other European soccer teams in becoming a brand that reaches beyond Italian soccer fans.

From Los Angeles Times