What does "goal" mean?
A result that one is attempting to achieve.
Goal
/ɡəʊl/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A result that one is attempting to achieve.
- Grammar: goal is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: aim, end, objective, purpose.
- Useful contrasts: aimlessness, dutch gemeen, futility.
- Usage evidence: You must not lose sight of your goal in life.
How to use "goal"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "goal" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "goal" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "goal" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "goal" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "goal" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "aim" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "goal", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A result that one is attempting to achieve.
"My lifelong goal is to get into a Hollywood movie."
- 2 a successful attempt at scoring wordnet
- 3 In many sports, an area into which the players attempt to put an object.
"The racers are approaching the goal."
- 4 game equipment consisting of the place toward which players of a game try to advance a ball or puck in order to score points wordnet
- 5 The act of placing the object into the goal.
"miss a goal"
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 the state of affairs that a plan is intended to achieve and that (when achieved) terminates behavior intended to achieve it wordnet
- 7 A point scored in a game as a result of placing the object into the goal.
"score a goal"
- 8 the place designated as the end (as of a race or journey) wordnet
- 9 A noun or noun phrase that receives the action of a verb. The subject of a passive verb or the direct object of an active verb. Also called a patient, target, or undergoer.
Verb
- 1 To score a goal.
Antonyms
Example
"You must not lose sight of your goal in life."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "goal"?
Common synonyms include: aim, end, objective, purpose, target, academic emulation.
How do you use "goal" in a sentence?
You must not lose sight of your goal in life.
How do you pronounce "goal"?
Pronounced /ɡəʊl/.
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”).