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

See Examples For:

soccer

PARIS—Zinédine Zidane, one of the most decorated coaches in European soccer and greatest players of his generation, had sat on the sidelines for five years, waiting for precisely this job.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

Netflix’s senior director of creative innovation, Girish Balakrishnan, outlined at the Runway AI film festival how AI was used to create soccer fans in “Brazil ’70” and establish shots for fight scenes in “Glory.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026

Warring host nations and juggling soccer balls fill the British mockumentary “Twenty Twenty Six,” a six-episode series on BritBox about the international staff organizing the 2026 World Cup from Miami.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026

Klopp's reputation has suffered in Germany since he joined Red Bull as head of global soccer in 2024, in a move many fans saw as a betrayal.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

“I just talked to Aunt Jen. Avery’s supposed to be with her team at a soccer game in Ellington Hills, but she isn’t there. She’s missing.”

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison