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

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Compare meaning

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

• Rugby vs. soccer

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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

See Examples For:

soccer

On Brazil’s professional soccer fields, players combine meticulous physical preparation with prayers, lucky charms and rituals intended to ward off injury or influence the outcome of a match.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

Cristiano Ronaldo announced his retirement from international soccer with Portugal on Thursday, although he plans to continue his more than two decade-long career and quest for 1,000 lifetime goals with Saudi club team Al-Nassr.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026

The Portugal captain of the last 18 years served a 30-day suspension ordered by the country’s soccer federation after he walked away from the team Oct.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026

But Sudeikis has long denied the show is about soccer.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026

With Annie, we would start talking about something like soccer and the next minute we’d be talking about rowdy soccer fans in Europe.

From "The Million Dollar Shot" by Dan Gutman

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