team
TEEM
Team (noun) means a group of people working or playing together toward a shared goal. Example: “The sales team hit its target three months early.”
noun
1
A group of people working or playing together toward a shared goal.
"The sales team hit its target three months early."
"Our football team won the championship this year."
"Every member of the rescue team trained together twice a week."
verb
1
To join together with others, especially to work well as a group.
"The two rivals decided to team up on the new project."
"The students teamed up to build a model bridge for science week."
"Local bakers teamed with farmers to sell fresh produce at the weekend market."
How to use team
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA group of people (or the act of joining together) working toward a common goal.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
team up
a team player
team spirit
join the team
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Word forms
- Plural
- teams
- Third person singular
- teams
- Past tense
- teamed
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The sales _____ hit its target three months early.
Etymology
From Old English team, originally meaning offspring or a set of animals harnessed together to pull something — the sense of "a group working together" grew out of that image of animals pulling as one.
Related words
Rhymes for team
See all rhymes for team →Frequently asked questions
What does “team” mean?
The word “team” means a group of people working or playing together toward a shared goal. In plain terms, a group of people (or the act of joining together) working toward a common goal.
How do you pronounce “team”?
“Team” is pronounced TEEM (/ˈtiːm/ in IPA).
How do you use “team” in a sentence?
Here is “team” used in a sentence: “The sales team hit its target three months early.”
What part of speech is “team”?
Depending on how it is used, “team” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “team” come from?
The word “team” comes from Old English. From Old English team, originally meaning offspring or a set of animals harnessed together to pull something — the sense of "a group working together" grew out of that image of animals pulling as one.
Is “team” a common word?
“Team” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
How many meanings does “team” have?
“Team” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a group of people working or playing together toward a shared goal.
What is the difference between a team and a group?
A group is simply a number of people gathered together, who may share nothing beyond that. A team is a group united by a common goal, with members who coordinate and depend on one another to reach it. Every team is a group, but not every group is a team.
What are the types of teams?
Teams take many forms: sports teams competing in a game, work or project teams in a business, cross-functional teams combining different specialists, and virtual teams working remotely. What unites them all is shared purpose — members contributing distinct roles toward one common objective rather than working alone.
Why is teamwork important?
Teamwork lets people combine different skills, share the workload, and achieve more than any individual could alone. It brings varied perspectives to problem-solving, spreads responsibility, and can boost motivation. Strong teams rely on trust, clear communication, and a genuinely shared goal in order to succeed.
What makes a good team?
A good team shares a clear goal, communicates openly, and trusts its members to play their roles. It balances complementary skills, handles disagreement constructively, and holds itself accountable. Good leadership and mutual respect help members pull in the same direction rather than competing against one another.
Example sentences
Real-world examples showing team in context, drawn from published sources. Any opinions expressed are those of the original source and do not reflect the views of FreeDict.com.
In its place is a new in-house marketing team leaning heavily on AI tools to generate content, from static ads to full animated and live-action commercials.
From
Fortune · Jul 25, 2026
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