Etimology
From Middle English gol (“boundary, limit”), from Old English *gāl (“obstacle, barrier, marker”), suggested by its derivatives Old English gǣlan (“to hinder, delay, impede, keep in suspense, linger, hesitate, dupe”), 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”).
noun
goal (plural goals)
A result that one is attempting to achieve.
(sports) In many sports, an area into which the players attempt to put an object.
(sports) The act of placing the object into the goal.
A point scored in a game as a result of placing the object into the goal.
(linguistics, grammar) A noun or noun phrase that receives the action of a verb. The subject of a passive verb or the direct object of an active verb. Also called a patient, target, or undergoer.
Examples
My lifelong goal is to get into a Hollywood movie.
She failed in her goal to become captain of the team.
The goal should be to strengthen workers without hamstringing firms. Growth, rather than employment protection, is the priority. More work means a stronger labour market, which would bid up employees’ slice, as it did in America in the 1990s when unemployment was at record lows.
fans behind the goal
play in goal
miss a goal
concede a goal
let in a goal
score a goal
The former Forest man, who passed a late fitness test, appeared to use Guy Moussi for leverage before nodding in David Fox's free-kick at the far post - his 22nd goal of the season.
Related words
synonyms
(a result one is attempting to achieve:) ambition, object of desire, objective, purpose, aspiration
See also Thesaurus:goal
verb
goal (third-person singular simple present goals, present participle goaling, simple past and past participle goaled)
(Gaelic football, Australian rules football) To score a goal.