noun
goal
gohl
noun
1
Something a person is aiming or working to achieve.
"Her goal was to finish the marathon in under four hours."
"The company set an ambitious goal for growth next year."
2
In sports, the target area for scoring, or the score gained by sending the ball or puck into it.
"He scored the winning goal in the final minute."
How to Use Goal
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA target you're trying to reach, whether in life, work, or a game.
Common pairings
set a goal
achieve a goal
score a goal
long-term goal
Word Forms
goaled past tense, goals plural, goals singular
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Her _____ was to finish the marathon in under four hours.
Etymology
From Middle English gol ("boundary, limit"), likely from an Old English word for a barrier or gap — the sports and ambition senses both grew from the idea of a marked end-point to reach.