goal

en
en
Change language
Translating...
Find language
Français
French
Español
Spanish
Deutsch
German
Português
Portuguese
Русский
Russian
/ɡoʊl/
Add to My Dictionary
In My Dictionary
+1
An aim reached through effort, a sports target or score, a finishing point, and in technical grammar the receiver of an action.
Practice using this word in conversation

Examples

  • After the turnover, the captain goaled within seconds.
  • The shot struck the side of the goal and bounced away.
  • In the clause “I gave Mira the keys,” Mira is the goal.
  • The lecture distinguished agent, theme, source, and goal.
  • The goal role contrasts with the source role in motion events.

Similar words

posts
point
objective
purpose
target
terminus
ambition
strike
convert
target

Meanings

Desired result

noun
everyday
neutral
Something a person, group, or system hopes to achieve through effort.

Usage

Use goal for an aim that effort is directed toward, especially one that may take planning, persistence, or time.

Examples

  • Her main goal is to finish the degree this year.
  • The team set a realistic goal for the launch.
  • Saving enough for a deposit became their shared goal.
  • The policy’s goal is to cut waste without reducing service.
  • He reached his goal after months of steady training.

Common mistakes

The article is often dropped, and goal is confused with the smaller steps that lead toward it.
IncorrectCorrect
She set goal to save money. She set a goal to save money.
Our goal are to reduce costs. Our goal is to reduce costs.
His goal is every task on today’s list. His goal is to finish the project this month.
They reached to their goal after years of work. They reached their goal after years of work.

Similar words

aim
objective
target
purpose
intention
ambition
aspiration

Scoring area

noun
sports
neutral
The frame, net, basket, line, or marked area that a ball or puck must enter or cross for a score.

Usage

Use goal for the physical target in sports, and use goalkeeper or in goal for the player who defends it.

Examples

  • The ball rolled slowly into the empty goal.
  • Fans behind the goal waved flags throughout the match.
  • The shot struck the side of the goal and bounced away.
  • A defender cleared the puck from the mouth of the goal.
  • The children used two coats as a goal in the park.

Common mistakes

The word is sometimes used for the player instead of the target, or for the ball that is sent toward it.
IncorrectCorrect
The goal blocked the shot. The goalkeeper blocked the shot.
She kicked the goal past the keeper. She kicked the ball into the goal.
The posts stood inside the goal. The posts formed the goal.
He played as the goal all season. He played in goal all season.

Similar words

net
target
frame
posts
basket
hoop

Score in a game

noun
sports
neutral
A successful scoring action, or the point credited when a ball or puck reaches the goal.

Usage

Use goal for the score itself, most often with verbs such as score, concede, allow, or disallow.

Examples

  • The striker scored the winning goal in stoppage time.
  • United conceded two goals before half-time.
  • The referee disallowed the goal for offside.
  • Her first goal for the club came from a corner.
  • The late goal kept their season alive.

Common mistakes

The article is dropped after score, and the scoring action is confused with a shot that misses.
IncorrectCorrect
She scored goal in the first half. She scored a goal in the first half.
The striker made a goal from twenty yards. The striker scored a goal from twenty yards.
The shot hit the post, so it was a goal. The shot hit the post, so it was not a goal.
They won by three goal. They won by three goals.

Similar words

score
point
marker
strike
finish

Endpoint to reach

noun
games
neutral
The place or line that marks where a race, journey, or game movement is meant to finish.

Usage

Use goal for an endpoint to be reached, especially in races and games, but use finish line when the marked line itself matters.

Examples

  • The riders could see the goal at the end of the course.
  • In the playground game, the tree served as the safe goal.
  • The racers reached the goal just before sunset.
  • Flags marked the goal at the far edge of the field.
  • The final hill hid the goal from view.

Common mistakes

Goal can sound too general when a race has a formal finish line, and the preposition is often chosen badly.
IncorrectCorrect
The runners crossed the goal tape. The runners crossed the finish tape.
She arrived to the goal before the others. She reached the goal before the others.
The map showed the goal where the race started. The map showed the goal where the race ended.
The children ran from the goal to win tag. The children ran to the goal to win tag.

Similar words

finish
endpoint
destination
target
terminus

Receiver of an action

noun
linguistics
technical
In grammar and linguistics, the participant that an action is directed toward or that receives its effect.

Usage

Use goal in technical grammar for a semantic role, often beside roles such as agent, patient, and source.

Examples

  • In the clause “I gave Mira the keys,” Mira is the goal.
  • Some analyses treat the recipient of a transfer verb as the goal.
  • The goal role contrasts with the source role in motion events.
  • A prepositional phrase can mark the goal of movement.
  • The lecture distinguished agent, theme, source, and goal.

Common mistakes

The technical role is often confused with the ordinary idea of an aim or with the direct object in every clause.
IncorrectCorrect
In “Maya sent Leo a letter,” the goal is the letter. In “Maya sent Leo a letter,” the goal is Leo.
Every direct object is a goal. Some direct objects are patients or themes, not goals.
The goal of the sentence is its main idea. The goal is the participant toward which the action is directed.
In “The vase broke,” the vase is the goal. In “The vase broke,” the vase is usually the patient or theme.

Similar words

recipient
target
undergoer

Score a goal

verb
sports
technical
To score a goal, especially in sports such as Gaelic football or Australian rules football.

Usage

Use goal as a verb only in sports contexts where that wording is established. In most everyday sports writing, score a goal is clearer.

Examples

  • The midfielder goaled from a tight angle.
  • He goaled twice before the final siren.
  • The team needed a forward who could goal under pressure.
  • She goals regularly from long range.
  • After the turnover, the captain goaled within seconds.

Common mistakes

The verb is rare outside a few sports, and it is often mistaken for the ordinary phrase set a goal.
IncorrectCorrect
I goal to learn Spanish this year. I set a goal to learn Spanish this year.
The forward goal late in the match. The forward goaled late in the match.
She goaled a target for the quarter. She set a goal for the quarter.
They goaled two points in the final minute. They goaled twice in the final minute.

Similar words

score
convert

Usage

Use goal most often for a desired result or a sports score, and let context show whether it means the target structure, the point scored, or a rarer technical role.

Common mistakes

Dropping the article in set goal or score goal is a common error, and the rare verb goal should not replace set a goal.

Etymology

From Middle English gol, meaning a boundary or limit. Its deeper origin is uncertain, with possible links to old words for an obstacle, passage, pole, or stake. The sports and figurative senses were both established by the sixteenth century.

FAQ

What does goal mean?

Goal most often means something someone wants to achieve, or a score or target area in a sport.

Is goal a noun or a verb?

Goal is mainly a noun. It can also be a rare sports verb meaning to score a goal.

What is the difference between a goal and an objective?

A goal is often a broader or longer-term aim, while an objective is usually more specific and measurable.

What does goal mean in sports?

In sports, a goal can be the target area, the act of scoring, or the point awarded for scoring.

Can goal mean the end of a race?

Yes. Goal can mean the endpoint or place to be reached in a race, journey, or game.

What does goal mean in grammar?

In grammar, a goal is the participant toward which an action is directed, such as the recipient in a giving event.

Where does goal come from?

Goal comes from Middle English gol, meaning a boundary or limit, though its deeper origin is uncertain.

Comments & contributions

Know this word from another angle? Add a correction, a nuance, or a usage note. New posts go public after a quick review.
Posting as a guest · Sign in
No comments yet. Be the first to add one.
Look up word or phrase...