goal

10 definitions • 17 examples

an area on a playing field, that usually has two posts with a net fixed behind them, where players try to send the ball in order to score in sports such as football and hockey:

into the goal Black headed the ball into the goal.

towards the goal She won the ball and ran towards the goal.

a point scored in some sports, such as football and hockey, when a player gets the ball into this area:

Brazil won by three goals to one.

score a goal Only one goal was scored in the entire match.

to be the player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring goals:

Who is playing in goal for Milan this evening?

to be the player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring goals:

He used to keep goal for Wimbledon.

Roberts kept goal in the absence of the injured Ali Matthews.

a goal area that has been left without any defenders:

Young rolled the ball across the six-yard box for Rooney to tap the ball into the open goal.

an aim or purpose:

Our goal is for the country to be fully independent within two years.

They have set themselves a series of goals to achieve by the end of the month.

achieve a goal of Do you think I'll be able to achieve my goal of losing five kilos before the summer?

(in many sports) a point scored when a player sends a ball or other object into a particular area of play or into a netted structure that is defended by the opposing team:

Lanzo missed scoring a goal by inches.

In some sports, a goal is also the area or netted structure into which a player sends a ball or other object in order to score a point.

an aim or purpose:

My goal is to lose ten pounds before the summer.

a purpose, or something that you want to achieve:

set (sb) a goal The sales team have set themselves a series of goals to achieve by the end of the month.

reach/achieve a goal Are the changes helping the organization achieve its goals or hindering progress?

the main/primary/ultimate goal

an achievable goal