football
FUUT-bawl
Football (noun) means a sport where two teams try to score by getting a ball into a goal, especially soccer in most of the world or American football in the US. Example: “Most of my cousins would rather watch football than do anything else on a Saturday.”
noun
1
A sport where two teams try to score by getting a ball into a goal, especially soccer in most of the world or American football in the US.
"Most of my cousins would rather watch football than do anything else on a Saturday."
"The whole town gathered to watch the football match."
"He played football for his school team for four years."
2
The ball used in such a game.
"Please pump up the football before the children start their game."
"She tucked the football under her arm and ran across the muddy pitch."
"The football flew over the fence and into the neighbor's garden."
3
Informal: an issue passed back and forth between people or groups without resolution.
"Funding for the new library has become a football between the two councils."
"Nobody wants the problem solved, so it remains a football passed from team to team."
"The proposal became a political football, kicked between committees for years."
How to use football
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA team sport played with a ball, or figuratively, a contentious issue nobody wants to fully own.
UK vs US
In the UK, "football" almost always means soccer; in the US, it usually means American football.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
play football
football match
political football
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Word forms
- Plural
- footballs
- Third person singular
- footballs
- Past tense
- footballed
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Most of my cousins would rather watch _____ than do anything else on a Saturday.
Etymology
From Middle English fotbal, "foot" + "ball," since the ball was originally moved mainly with the feet.
Synonyms
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Frequently asked questions
What does “football” mean?
The word “football” means a sport where two teams try to score by getting a ball into a goal, especially soccer in most of the world or American football in the US. In plain terms, a team sport played with a ball, or figuratively, a contentious issue nobody wants to fully own.
How do you pronounce “football”?
“Football” is pronounced FUUT-bawl (/ˈfʊt.bɔl/ in IPA).
How do you use “football” in a sentence?
Here is “football” used in a sentence: “The whole town gathered to watch the football match.”
What is another word for “football”?
Words with a similar meaning to “football” include association football, soccer, soccer football, footy, footie and footer.
What part of speech is “football”?
“Football” is a noun.
Where does the word “football” come from?
The word “football” comes from Middle English. From Middle English fotbal, "foot" + "ball," since the ball was originally moved mainly with the feet.
Is “football” a common word?
“Football” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
How many meanings does “football” have?
“Football” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a sport where two teams try to score by getting a ball into a goal, especially soccer in most of the world or American football in the US.
What is the difference between football and soccer?
They usually name the same sport. In most of the world, 'football' means the game played mainly with the feet, kicking a round ball into a goal. In the United States and Canada, that game is called 'soccer,' while 'football' refers to American football. Context and country decide which sport is meant.
Why is football called soccer in America?
'Soccer' actually comes from Britain. The sport's full name is 'association football,' and nineteenth-century students shortened 'association' to 'assoc,' then to 'soccer.' Americans adopted this nickname to distinguish the game from American football. So the word many think is American originated in England, even though Britain now mostly says 'football.'
What are the types of football?
Several sports share the name. Association football (soccer) is the global game. American football and Canadian football feature an oval ball and heavy tackling. Rugby football splits into union and league, and there's also Australian rules football and Gaelic football. All descend from old ball-and-goal games but follow very different rules.
Is football the most popular sport in the world?
Yes, association football, or soccer, is widely considered the world's most popular sport, with billions of fans across every continent. Its showpiece, the FIFA World Cup, draws enormous global audiences. American football, by contrast, is hugely popular within the United States but followed far less elsewhere.
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