goal

noun

Save Word

\ ˈgōl

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

plural goals

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 Phrases Containing goal Learn More About goal

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. See More

Recent Examples on the Web But Palat gave Tampa Bay the win at 13:38 with his 11th goal of the playoffs and seventh scored in the third period. — Mike Brehm, USA TODAY, 25 June 2022 Each has contributed, including Borrero netting his first MLS goal in a recent 2-1 comeback win against Minnesota United. — Hayden Bird, BostonGlobe.com, 24 June 2022 Reece's primary goal is to educate the public on Cincinnati's contributions to the music industry. — Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 24 June 2022 Households are expecting prices to run even higher this year and anticipate them to remain above the Fed's 2% target goal for the next five years, according to survey data. — Alicia Wallace, CNN, 24 June 2022 Russia has declared that its primary war goal is the conquest of Donbas, Ukraine’s industrial heartland, which encompasses the Luhansk and Donetsk regions. — Annabelle Chapman, Washington Post, 24 June 2022 Playing with Pride was another notebook goal realized. — Melinda Newman, Billboard, 23 June 2022 The start-up was launched by founder and CEO Chris M. Williams in March 2017 with a mere $6 million in Series A funding and the bold goal of taking digital kids and family content creators and turning them into multiplatform franchises. — Todd Longwell, Variety, 23 June 2022 The team's primary goal for the development prototypes was to ensure the solar generation aspect worked correctly. — John Voelcker, Car and Driver, 23 June 2022 See More

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.