goal

A2 Topic:General Vocabulary

US /ɡoʊl/ UK /ɡəʊl/ See IPA manual

Freq #2386

Meanings

1

noun
Something you are trying to achieve.

My lifelong goal is to act in a Hollywood movie.
2

noun
A point scored by putting the ball into the net.

She scored the winning goal in the last minute.
3

noun
The area or net that players try to put the ball into.

The keeper stood in front of the goal.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · something you are trying to... ambition aim end

More aspiration intention object objective purpose success targettelos

Word family

Forms goals

Derived forms antigoalgoal-directedgoal-gettergoal-linegoal-orientedgoal-suckgoalballgoalboundgoalboxgoalergoalfestgoalframe

Related forms campaign cause crusade drive movement

Appears in

Phrases (2)

See all

field goal
in American football, a score made by kicking the ball between the goalposts

Noun + noun
attainable goal
an aim that can realistically be reached

Adjective + noun

Etymology

From Middle English gol (“boundary, limit”), from Old English *gāl (“obstacle, barrier, marker”), from Proto-West Germanic *gailu, from Proto-Germanic *gailō (“crevice, gap”); compare the Old English's derivatives Old English gǣlan (“to hinder, delay”), and hyġegǣls (“hesitating, slow, sluggish”), hyġegǣlsa (“slow one, sluggish one”). Possibly cognate with Lithuanian gãlas (“end”), Latvian gals (“end”), Old Prussian gallan (“death”), Albanian ngalem (“to be limping, lame, paralyzed”), ngel (“to remain, linger, hesitate, get stuck”).

gol Middle English *gāl Old English *gailu Proto-West Germanic *gailō Proto-Germanic

View etymology graph ->

Topics

General Vocabulary

External links

# goal

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ɡoʊl/
**IPA (UK):** /ɡəʊl/
**Frequency rank:** 2386

## Meanings
1. Something you are trying to achieve.
2. A point scored by putting the ball into the net.
3. The area or net that players try to put the ball into.

## Examples
- My lifelong goal is to act in a Hollywood movie.
- She scored the winning goal in the last minute.
- The keeper stood in front of the goal.

## Synonyms
- aim
- aspiration
- end
- intention
- object
- objective
- purpose
- success
- target
- telos

## Derived Forms
- antigoal
- goal-directed
- goal-getter
- goal-line
- goal-oriented
- goal-suck
- goalball
- goalbound
- goalbox
- goaler
- goalfest
- goalframe

## Related Forms
- campaign
- cause
- crusade
- drive
- movement

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: gol
- Root: *gāl
- Root: *gailu
- Root: *gailō

## Etymology
From Middle English gol (“boundary, limit”), from Old English *gāl (“obstacle, barrier, marker”), from Proto-West Germanic *gailu, from Proto-Germanic *gailō (“crevice, gap”); compare the Old English's derivatives Old English gǣlan (“to hinder, delay”), and hyġegǣls (“hesitating, slow, sluggish”), hyġegǣlsa (“slow one, sluggish one”). Possibly cognate with Lithuanian gãlas (“end”), Latvian gals (“end”), Old Prussian gallan (“death”), Albanian ngalem (“to be limping, lame, paralyzed”), ngel (“to remain, linger, hesitate, get stuck”).

## AI Etymology
Goal comes from Middle English gol (“boundary, limit”), from Old English *gāl (“obstacle, barrier, marker”), from Proto-West Germanic *gailu, from Proto-Germanic *gailō (“crevice, gap”); compare the Old English's derivatives Old English gǣlan (“to hinder, delay”), and hyġegǣls (“hesitating, slow, sluggish”), hyġegǣlsa (“slow one, sluggish one”). Possibly cognate with Lithuanian gãlas (“end”), Latvian gals (“end”), Old Prussian gallan (“death”), Albanian ngalem (“to be limping, lame, paralyzed”), ngel (“to remain, linger, hesitate, get stuck”). In current use, the main senses are “Something you are trying to achieve” and “A point scored by putting the ball into the net”.

## Topics
- General Vocabulary

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