soccer

noun

soc·​cer ˈsä-kər 

: a game played on a field between two teams of 11 players each with the object to propel a round ball into the opponent's goal by kicking or by hitting it with any part of the body except the hands and arms

called also association football, football

Examples of soccer in a Sentence

Both of their children play soccer.

Recent Examples on the Web

Many soccer fans are also drinking alcohol and watching the World Cup. — Dorany Pineda, Chicago Tribune, 30 June 2026

The throngs of teenagers doing back flips into the Canal Saint-Martin and playing soccer in the street set the mood for the week. — Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026

And even that score undersells how one-sided the match felt at times as Mbappé, Michael Olise, and company put on a clinic of sophisticated soccer. — Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 30 June 2026

As a nightcap, the two soccer heavyweights – Netherlands and Morocco – played a bloody 120 minutes, which also ended in PKs. — Alex Connor, USA Today, 30 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

by shortening & alteration from association football

First Known Use

1885, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing soccer

• soccer mom
• table soccer

Rhymes for soccer

• blocker
• chalker
• cocker
• docker
• hawker
• hocker
• knocker
• locker
• mocker
• ocher
• rocker
• shocker

Kids Definition

soccer

noun

soc·​cer ˈsäk-ər 

: a football game with 11 players on a side in which a round ball is advanced by kicking it or by hitting it with any part of the body except the hands and arms

Etymology

by shortening and alteration of association football

Word Origin

Soccer is the world's most popular sport. In most countries, however, its name is not soccer but football. In England, where the modern game started, it is usually called either football or association football. The latter name comes from the fact that the rules of the game were standardized when the Football Association was founded in England in 1863. The word soccer comes from the last three letters of the abbreviation assoc., which stands for "association." Although the word soccer was first used in England, the only countries where it is now the usual name for the sport are the U.S. and Canada.