ENGLISH
REFERENCE

goal

n. · v.
US //ˈɡoʊɫ// UK //ɡˈəʊl// goal
  1. 1 an aim or objective (n.)
    A2 Elementary

    something that you hope to achieve in the future.

    a desired result that a person or system envisions, plans, and commits to achieve.

    Example

    Her main goal this year is to save enough money for a new car.

    Example

    The primary goal of the new environmental policy is to reduce carbon emissions by forty percent over the next decade.
  2. 2 sports scoring area (n.)
    A2 Elementary Sport

    the area or structure that players try to put a ball into to score points.

    the physical structure or designated area into which players must propel a ball or puck to score.

    Example

    The goalkeeper stood right in front of the goal to block the shot.

    Example

    The striker aimed for the top corner of the goal, narrowly missing the crossbar in the final minute of the match.
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  1. 3 a point scored (n.)
    A2 Elementary Sport

    a point made in a game when the ball goes into the net.

    a successful instance of scoring in sports such as football, hockey, or lacrosse.

    Example

    They won the game by just one goal in the final seconds.

    Example

    After a scoreless first half, the home team finally managed to secure a goal following a precise corner kick.
  2. 4 linguistic patient (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Academic Technical Science

    the person or thing that receives the action of a verb.

    the semantic role of an entity that is the target of an action or the endpoint of a motion.

    Example

    In the sentence 'He kicked the ball', the ball is the goal of the action.

    Example

    In functional grammar, the goal is the participant to which the process is directed, often corresponding to the direct object in active constructions.

    Usage

    Often used in the context of thematic roles or semantic analysis.
  3. 5 to score (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Informal Sport

    to successfully put the ball into the goal.

    to score a goal in a sporting competition.

    Example

    He managed to goal twice during the second half of the match.

    Example

    The young forward was praised for his ability to goal consistently even under intense defensive pressure.

    Usage

    This verb use is less common than the phrase 'to score a goal'.
Origin

From Middle English gol (“boundary, limit”), from Old English gāl (“obstacle, barrier, marker”), from Proto-West Germanic gailu, from Proto-Germanic *gailō (“crevice, gap”); compare the Old English's derivatives Old English gǣlan (“to hinder, delay”), and hyġegǣls (“hesitating, slow, sluggish”), hyġegǣlsa (“slow one, sluggish one”). Possibly cognate with Lithuanian gãlas (“end”), Latvian gals (“end”), Old Prussian gallan (“death”), Albanian ngalem (“to be limping, lame, paralyzed”), ngel (“to remain, linger, hesitate, get stuck”).

Word family

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