soccer

IPA/ˈsɒkə(r)/
KK[sˈɑkɚ]IPA/ˈsɑːkər/

soccer — noun

1. a team sport for two sides of eleven players each, who try to score by moving a

1.nounA2
Definition

a team sport for two sides of eleven players each, who try to score by moving a round ball past the opposing goalkeeper into a net, using only their feet, head, or body — never their hands or arms

Example

Karim plays soccer every Saturday with his friends at the park.

play soccer — common activity collocation

The girls watched a soccer game between two local schools last week.

watch a soccer game — viewing collocation

Common collocations
  • play soccer
  • watch soccer
  • soccer game
  • soccer team
  • soccer player
  • soccer ball
  • soccer field
  • soccer coach
  • score a goal
  • soccer match
Synonyms
  • football

    used in British English and most other varieties to refer to the same sport

Common Mistakes

I played soccer with foot.
I played soccer with my feet.
In English we say 'with my feet', not 'with foot'.
We made a goal.
We scored a goal.
The correct verb for getting a goal in soccer is 'score', not 'make'.

Word family

  • soccer player
    nounA2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

In most of the world, 'football' is the standard name for the sport that Americans call 'soccer'. The word 'soccer' is a shortened form of 'association football', created in late 19th-century England. Today, 'soccer' is the dominant term in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, while 'football' is used in the UK, Europe, South America, and most of Africa and Asia. If you travel to London, locals will say 'football match', not 'soccer match'. Within a casual US conversation, you might hear 'footie' (rare), but 'soccer' is the everyday choice. Knowing both terms helps you avoid confusion: 'I love soccer' in the US means the same as 'I love football' in Brazil.

football ↗soccer ballfootie

Common collocations

Nouns

  • soccer player
  • soccer team
  • soccer game
  • soccer match
  • soccer ball
  • soccer field
  • soccer club
  • soccer league
  • soccer season
  • soccer fans

Phrases

  • play soccer
  • watch soccer
  • play for a soccer team
  • go to a soccer game

Etymology

EnglishBritish university slang

The word 'soccer' started as university slang in late 1800s England. It comes from 'assoc.', a short form of 'association' (as in 'Association Football'), with the '-er' suffix added — the same pattern that gave us 'rugger' from 'rugby'. So 'soccer' literally means 'association football', distinguishing it from rugby football.