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

Several of the child’s family members and their supporters attended the brief hearing, many wearing T-shirts with his photo on the front and a soccer ball with angel wings on the back. —Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Dec. 2025

Having been at Minnesota United when the franchise won the bid to become an MLS side and having helped market Premier League teams coming to the US for preseason tours, Yoch brought vital soccer marketing experience to the new endeavor. —Julia Andersen, CNN Money, 3 Dec. 2025

But Michele Kang just made a move that should cement the impact her investment will have on her own sport—soccer—and beyond. —Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 3 Dec. 2025

Money is pouring into women’s sports, with athletes in basketball, hockey, soccer, softball and volleyball reaping the rewards. —Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 3 Dec. 2025

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.