Word
FIFA
Phoneticsfi·fa
/ˈfɪfɑ/
Definitions
01sports governing body
n. Stands for Fédération Internationale de Football Association. The international group that manages world football and the World Cup.
n. Abbreviation for Fédération Internationale de Football Association. The global governing body for association football, futsal, and beach soccer.
“FIFA announced the host cities for the next World Cup yesterday.”
“The committee submitted a formal complaint to FIFA regarding the eligibility of several players during the qualifying rounds.”
Usage
Usually treated as a singular proper noun without an article, though 'the FIFA World Cup' is a common compound.
Teaching tip
Explain to students that although the name is French, it is used globally in English to refer to the organization.
02video game series
n. A popular series of football video games played on computers and consoles.
n. A long-running series of association football simulation video games developed by EA Sports.
“We spent the whole afternoon playing FIFA on the new console.”
“The latest edition of FIFA introduced significant improvements to the player physics engine and tactical AI.”
Informal
Usage
Often used metonymically to refer to the game itself rather than the organization.
Teaching tip
Note that while the branding changed to 'EA Sports FC' recently, many speakers still colloquially refer to the game as FIFA.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/fifa