Meaning of goal In English

• 0 an area on a playing field, that usually has two posts with a net fixed behind them, where players try to send the ball in order to score in sports such as football and hockey:

  • Black kicked/headed the ball into/towards the goal.

  • Brazil won by three goals to one.

  • Only one goal was scored in the entire match.

  • Who is playing in goal for Milan this evening?

  • Young rolled the ball across the six-yard box for Rooney to tap the ball into the open goal.

• 1 an aim or purpose:

  • Our goal is for the country to be fully independent within two years.

  • They have set themselves a series of goals to achieve by the end of the month.

  • Do you think I'll be able to achieve my goal of losing five kilos before the summer?

• 2 (in many sports) a point scored when a player sends a ball or other object into a particular area of play or into a netted structure that is defended by the opposing team:

  • Lanzo missed scoring a goal by inches.

• 3 an aim or purpose:

  • My goal is to lose ten pounds before the summer.

• 4 a purpose, or something that you want to achieve:

  • set (sb) a goal The sales team have set themselves a series of goals to achieve by the end of the month.

  • reach/achieve a goal Are the changes helping the organization achieve its goals or hindering progress?

  • the main/primary/ultimate goal

  • an achievable goal