What does soccer mean?
Soccer is a team field sport played between two opposing teams of eleven players. Players use their feet, heads, and bodies to control and move a ball, while the goalkeeper protects the goal; the aim is to score more goals than the opposing team. The term is especially common in the United States and Canada, where it clearly distinguishes the sport from American football. British speakers generally call the same game “football” and more formally “association football,” although “soccer” is widely understood and used internationally. In everyday conversation, “soccer” can refer either to the sport as a whole or to a particular match or level of play, as in phrases such as “watching soccer” or “playing organized soccer.” The word is neutral and widely accessible, making it useful whenever clarity about the sport is important.
nounSoccer is a field game played between two teams of eleven players, with the objective of scoring goals by sending a ball into the opposing team's goal. The word is especially common in American English, where “football” usually refers to American football.
- The global field sport played by two teams of eleven players, in which the ball is advanced mainly with the feet and scored by sending it into the opposing team's goal.
"They played soccer on the field while the rest of the family watched from the sidelines."
"The soccer team practiced passing and shooting before its match."
"She is learning soccer so she can join a local recreational league."
The plural “soccers” is grammatically correct but uncommon; “soccer” is normally used as a mass or collective noun for the sport.
"The two soccers wore different uniforms for the exhibition."
Soccer began as a shortening of “association football” and became the everyday name for the game around the world.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does soccer come from?
Soccer originated in American English in the early twentieth century as a shortening of “association football,” a name used to distinguish the game from other forms of football. The word “association” comes ultimately from Latin associare, meaning to unite or join together. Over time, the shortened name spread beyond the United States and became the standard international English term for the game, even though British English continues to favor “football.”
How soccer is actually used
The word has a neutral, everyday register. It is especially idiomatic in American English, while British speakers more commonly use “football” for the sport.
Easily confused with soccer
In British English, “football” usually means association football, while in American English it usually means American football; “soccer” avoids that ambiguity.