: a game played on a field between two teams of 11 players each with the object to propel a round ball into the opponent's goal by kicking or by hitting it with any part of the body except the hands and arms
called also association football
Examples of soccer in a Sentence
Both of their children play soccer.
Recent Examples on the Web
Li Tie, the former head coach of the Chinese men’s national soccer team who played for Everton in the Premier League, has lost an appeal against his 20-year prison sentence for offering and accepting bribes.
—
Colin Millar, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
The world soccer governing body FIFA had previously communicated that the tournament would include a $1 billion prize pool distributed to the 32 teams.
—Manuel Veth, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
Mallory Swanson is a professional soccer player with the NWSL's Chicago Stars FC.
—Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Apr. 2025
The day before, April 26, the couple were in the stands for the soccer team co-owned by Reynolds, Wrexham in Wales, sharing a hug when the team won their big match.
—Elizabeth Stanton, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for soccer
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Colin Millar, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
The world soccer governing body FIFA had previously communicated that the tournament would include a $1 billion prize pool distributed to the 32 teams.
—Manuel Veth, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
Mallory Swanson is a professional soccer player with the NWSL's Chicago Stars FC.
—Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Apr. 2025
The day before, April 26, the couple were in the stands for the soccer team co-owned by Reynolds, Wrexham in Wales, sharing a hug when the team won their big match.
—Elizabeth Stanton, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for soccer
Cite this Entry
“Soccer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/soccer. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
soccer
noun
soc·cer
ˈsäk-ər 
: a football game with 11 players on a side in which a round ball is advanced by kicking it or by hitting it with any part of the body except the hands and arms
Etymology
by shortening and alteration of association football
Word Origin
Soccer is the world's most popular sport. In most countries, however, its name is not soccer but football. In England, where the modern game started, it is usually called either football or association football. The latter name comes from the fact that the rules of the game were standardized when the Football Association was founded in England in 1863. The word soccer comes from the last three letters of the abbreviation assoc., which stands for "association." Although the word soccer was first used in England, the only countries where it is now the usual name for the sport are the U.S. and Canada.
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