technical foul

noun

basketball

: a foul that is assessed to a player, coach, or team typically for unsportsmanlike conduct (such as arguing with an official or taunting an opponent) and does not usually involve physical contact with an opponent while the ball is in play

called also technical

compare personal foul

Examples of technical foul in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Edmonds picked up a technical foul in the first minute of the game and his second foul with just over six minutes remaining in the first. —Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Mar. 2026

Doncic also has 15 technical fouls, and while the gesture was not called for a ‘T’ during live action, his 16th technical will lead to a one-game suspension. —Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 11 Mar. 2026

After 15 seconds of passionate arguing from Brown while play continued, Ford assessed him a technical foul. —Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 11 Mar. 2026

Mavs rookie Cooper Flagg was assessed the first technical foul of his NBA career during Dallas’ loss to the Toronto Raptors on Sunday. —R.j. Coyle, Dallas Morning News, 9 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for technical foul

• afoul
• wildfowl
• foule
• fowl
• growl
• howl
• jowl
• owl
• prowl
• scowl
• waterfowl