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

Both players were issued unsportsmanlike technical fouls and ejected from the game. —Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 13 Nov. 2025

Denver staged a 10-2 run to take an 83-74 lead when Murray made a free throw after Monk was called for a technical foul. —Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 12 Nov. 2025

But after the game, responding to questions from the media, the Cleveland Cavaliers complained about Green, who was just one technical foul away from an automatic one-game suspension. —The Athletic Nba Staff, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2025

There were no flagrant or technical fouls on either side, though Gonzalez did catch Franz Wagner (27 points) in the face on one rebound attempt. —Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 8 Nov. 2025

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