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

Iranian soccer officials recently met with the head of FIFA, international soccer's governing body, who has insisted that Iran stick to the schedule. —ABC News, 9 Apr. 2026

Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund has shown interest in a team in London; Qatar Sports Investment, the owners of soccer giant PSG, is eying one in Paris; and RedBird Capital, which owns AC Milan and is an investor in Paramount, wants a team in Milan. —Mike Vorkunov, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026

The $80 train tickets from Boston to Foxboro for World Cup matches at Gillette Stadium went on sale Wednesday, but some soccer fans had a hard time buying them on the MBTA's mTicket app. —Neal Riley, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026

From full-field outdoor leagues to arena-style indoor play and casual pickup games, adult soccer players across the Denver metro area and Front Range have plenty of options for staying on the pitch year-round. —Julia King, Denver Post, 8 Apr. 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.