goal

noun

\ ˈgōl

, chiefly Northern US especially in senses 3b and 2a also ˈgül\

Definition of goal

1 : the end toward which effort is directed : aim The goal is high-speed rail travel.

2a : an area or object toward which players in various games attempt to advance a ball or puck and usually through or into which it must go to score points

b : the act or action of causing a ball or puck to go through or into such a goal

c : the score resulting from such an act

3a : the terminal point of a race

b : an area to be reached safely in children's games

Other Words from goal Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about goal

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Choose the Right Synonym for goal

intention, intent, purpose, design, aim, end, object, objective, goal mean what one intends to accomplish or attain. intention implies little more than what one has in mind to do or bring about. announced his intention to marry intent suggests clearer formulation or greater deliberateness. the clear intent of the statute purpose suggests a more settled determination. being successful was her purpose in life design implies a more carefully calculated plan. the order of events came by accident, not design aim adds to these implications of effort directed toward attaining or accomplishing. her aim was to raise film to an art form end stresses the intended effect of action often in distinction or contrast to the action or means as such. willing to use any means to achieve his end object may equal end but more often applies to a more individually determined wish or need. his constant object was the achievement of pleasure objective implies something tangible and immediately attainable. their objective is to seize the oil fields goal suggests something attained only by prolonged effort and hardship. worked years to reach her goals

Examples of goal in a Sentence

He set a goal for himself of exercising at least three times a week. Her primary goal is to get a college degree. We all share a common goal. She pursued her goal of starting her own business. The company has instituted several new policies with the goal of reducing waste. Last month he had 10 goals and six assists. She scored the winning goal in the game's final minute.

Recent Examples on the Web

The goal of the KonMari Method is to have a house full of items that spark joy. — Amanda Garrity, Good Housekeeping, "What Is the KonMari Method? Here's How to Declutter the Marie Kondo Way," 11 Jan. 2019 Because lighter passenger trains can collide with heavy freight trains on shared tracks, the goal of the previous crash standards was to build passenger cars that could withstand the impact. — Jo Craven Mcginty, WSJ, "Will New Train Guidelines Improve Speeds? Not So Fast," 11 Jan. 2019 The goal of a campaign isn’t just to elect a worthy candidate, but to elect an official who will enact legislation to better their constituents’ lives. — Hadiya Afzal, Teen Vogue, "Here’s Why Members of Congress Including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar Give Me Hope," 7 Jan. 2019 The goal of the app is to help people stay in recovery. — Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, "The FDA Thinks This App Could Help People With Opioid Use Disorder Stay in Recovery," 17 Dec. 2018 The goal of the 24th Conference of Parties (COP24) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is to hammer out critical the details of the Paris climate agreement. — Umair Irfan, Vox, "World leaders are working out a climate deal in Poland — despite Trump," 14 Dec. 2018 Real quick, the goal of Manny’s is to create a central place for people to become better informed and more involved citizens. — Eric Johnson, Recode, "Full Q&A: Ezra Klein and Kara Swisher on the future of journalism," 12 Dec. 2018 Tahoe seemed like the perfect place to achieve that goal. — Alissa Walker, Curbed, "Getting around the Bay Area with Chanell Fletcher," 21 Dec. 2018 Since that’s the point of the cause, and since that goal is best served by staying vague, vagueness will likely continue to be the order of the day. — Matthew Yglesias, Vox, "The $21 trillion Pentagon accounting error that can’t pay for Medicare-for-all, explained," 3 Dec. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'goal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.