field goal

noun

1

: a score of three points in football made by drop-kicking or placekicking the ball over the crossbar from ordinary play

2

: a goal in basketball made while the ball is in play

Examples of field goal in a Sentence

He kicked a 20-yard field goal.

Recent Examples on the Web

Falcons 27, Packers 7 The Falcons take a 20-point lead on a 33-yard field goal from kicker Nick Folk, who remains perfect on the night. — AJC.com, 25 Sep. 2026

Patterson, who made 27 of 29 field goals last season, is 4 for 6 so far this season. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2026

Chance has made such an impression with his leg that Dykes and the rest of the staff are beginning to experiment with him on field goals. — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Sep. 2026

Miami won 13-10 thanks to a pair of Olindo Mare field goals and a Ronnie Brown touchdown run. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 24 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1883, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for field goal

• bankroll
• bedroll
• borehole
• cajole
• catchpole
• charcoal
• condole
• control
• dipole
• downhole
• enroll
• extol

Kids Definition

field goal

noun

1

: a score of three points in football made by kicking the ball over the crossbar during ordinary play

2

: basket sense 3b