soccer

noun

soc·​cer ˈsä-kər How to pronounce soccer (audio)
: 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, football

Examples of soccer in a Sentence

Both of their children play soccer.
Recent Examples on the Web
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The Wednesday announcement by Sanrio’s Chinese subsidiary came just after French soccer star Kylian Mbappé apologized for remarks about late Chinese leader Mao Zedong that saw several Chinese sponsors cut ties with him. — Reuters, NBC news, 29 Oct. 2026 Spain's soccer federation postponed all 24 Copa del Rey games scheduled on Wednesday. — Joseph Wilson, Arkansas Online, 29 Oct. 2026 Outwardly, the book and film both seek to imbue this event with the significance of the famed Christmas truce soccer matches between British and German forces in the no-man’s-land of the First World War. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 29 Oct. 2026 Impact on local businesses was mixed with some small businesses saying the soccer bump was never realized. — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 29 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for soccer

Word History

Etymology

by shortening & alteration from association football

First Known Use

1885, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of soccer was in 1885

Phrases Containing soccer

Rhymes for soccer

See All Rhymes for soccer

Browse Nearby Words

so-called dollar
soccer
soccer mom
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Soccer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/soccer. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Kids Definition

soccer

noun
soc·​cer ˈsäk-ər How to pronounce soccer (audio)
: 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.

More from Merriam-Webster on soccer

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about soccer

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