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.

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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

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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

Explanation

Soccer is a sport that's played with a round black and white ball that players pass to each other using their feet. To win a soccer match, your side has to kick the ball into the goal more times than your rivals do. Go team! In most parts of the world, soccer is known as football, which makes sense since players (except the goalie) can't touch the ball with their hands — they mainly control and move it with their feet. In the U.S., however, football is a completely different sport, one that's known as American football everywhere else,. Soccer comes from socca, slang for Assoc., which is a shortened version of Association football.

Example Sentences

Gorden became pregnant during her junior year of college and for most of the next 12 years, she tried to balance her life as a professional soccer player with her responsibilities as a single mother.

From Los Angeles Times • May 10, 2026

He played soccer and went to Bishop Denis J. O’Connell High School, a Catholic preparatory school in Arlington.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026

He transferred the following year to Rutgers University-Newark, where he continued to play soccer as a midfielder, and graduated in January 2013.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026

The policies are common in college football and European soccer, although secondary ticket markets and digital-payment workarounds have often made them difficult to enforce.

From MarketWatch • May 8, 2026

When he returned, Freebie had a half-deflated soccer ball in his mouth.

From "Millionaires for the Month" by Stacey McAnulty