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

Jamal Murray drained a three-pointer from almost three-quarters court at the buzzer to punctuate a chaotic final 35 seconds that was preceded by Doncic’s 13th technical foul of the season and featured an 8-0 run for the Nuggets. —Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026

While hardly an enforcer, with just one flagrant foul and no technical fouls over these first two NBA seasons, the toughness continues to win over the locker room. —Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 21 Jan. 2026

Doncic got his 12th technical foul of the season in the first half for arguing. —CBS News, 18 Jan. 2026

That included a technical foul on the Illinois bench on associate head coach Orlando Antigua. —Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 15 Jan. 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