noun · verb · 16 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈfʊt.bɔːl/
Received-Pronunciation:[ˈfʊʔt̚bɔːl]
Received-Pronunciation:[ˈfʊʔthbɔːl]
Received-Pronunciation:[ˈfʊʔbɔːl]
General-American:/ˈfʊt.bɔl/
General-American:[ˈfʊʔtbɔɫ]
General-American:[ˈfʊʔt̚bɔɫ]
Canada, cot-caught-merger:/ˈfʊt.bɑl/
Canada, cot-caught-merger:[ˈfwʊʔt̚bɑɫ]
Australian, New-Zealand:/ˈfʊt.boːl/
Australia:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Northern-Ireland, Scotland:/fʉt.bɔl/
South-Asia:/ˈfʊɖɯ.bɔːl/
South-Asia:/ˈfʊʈˌbɔːl/
CMU ARPABET:F UH1 T B AO2 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A sport played on foot in which teams attempt to get a ball into a goal or zone defended by the other team.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, general, uncountable
Examples
Roman and medieval football matches were more violent than any modern type of football.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The ball used in any game called "football".
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable
Examples
The player kicked the football.
Hans Moleman Production presents: Man getting hit by football.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
Association football, also called soccer: a game in which two teams each contend to get a round ball into the other team's goal primarily by kicking the ball.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Each team scored three goals when they played football.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
American football: a game played on a field 100 yards long and 53 1/3 yards wide in which two teams of 11 players attempt to get an ovoid ball to the end of each other's territory.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US, uncountable
Examples
Each team scored two touchdowns when they played football.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
Canadian football: a game played on a field 110 yards long and 65 yards wide in which two teams of 12 players attempt to get an ovoid ball to the end of each other's territory.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Canada, uncountable
Examples
They played football in the snow.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
Australian rules football.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
Gaelic football: a field game played with similar rules to hurling, but using hands and feet rather than a stick, and a ball, similar to, yet smaller than a soccer ball.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Ireland, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
noun
Meaning 8
Any form of rugby.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
11
noun
Meaning 11
Practice of these particular games, or techniques used in them.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
12
noun
Meaning 12
An item of discussion, particularly in a back-and-forth manner
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, figuratively
Examples
That budget item became a political football.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
13
noun
Meaning 13
The leather briefcase containing classified nuclear war plans which is always near the US President.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US, countable, slang
Topics: government, military, politics, war
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: nuclear football, atomic football, black box, black bag
Antonyms: none provided
14
verb
Meaning 14
To play football.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive, rare
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
15
noun
Meaning 15
any of various games played with a ball (round or oval) in which two teams try to kick or carry or propel the ball into each other's goal
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: football game
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: contact sport, field game
Narrower terms: American football, American football game, professional football, rugby, rugby football, rugger, soccer, association football
16
noun
Meaning 16
the inflated oblong ball used in playing American football
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: ball
History
Etymology
From Middle English fotbal, footbal, equivalent to foot + ball, because the ball was primarily manipulated with the feet in early versions of the game (though some modern varieties involve more handling than kicking). The name for the briefcase is a play on “dropkick”, the code name of an early version of the nuclear war plan.
Across languages
Translations
317 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Abkhaz:
ашьапылампыл
(ašapʼəlampʼəl)
— association football
Afrikaans:
sokker
— association football
Afrikaans:
voetbal
— association football
Akan:
bɔɔlɔ
— association football
Albanian:
futboll
— association football
Amharic:
እግር ኳስ
(ʾəgr kwas)
— association football
Arabic:
كُرَة اَلْقَدَم
(kurat al-qadam)
— association football
Arabic:
كورة
(kōra)
— association football
Arabic:
كورة قدم
(kōret qádam)
— association football
Arabic:
كورة
(kūra)
— association football
Arabic:
كورة قدم
(kūrat qadam)
— association football
Arabic:
كورة
(kūra)
— association football
Arabic:
فوتبول
(fūtbōl)
— association football
Arabic:
كورة
(kūra)
— association football
Arabic:
كورة قدم
(kūrat qádam)
— association football
Assyrian Neo-Aramaic:
ܐܸܣܦܹܝܪ ܪܸܓ݂ܠܵܐ
(ispēyr riḡlā)
— association football
Armenian:
ֆուտբոլ
(futbol)
— association football
Asturian:
fútbol
— association football
Azerbaijani:
futbol
— association football
Belarusian:
футбо́л
(futból)
— association football
Bengali:
ফুটবল
(phuṭbol)
— association football
Breton:
mell-droad
— association football
Bulgarian:
футбо́л
(futból)
— association football
Burmese:
ဘောလုံး
(bhau:lum:)
— association football
Carpathian Rusyn:
фотбал
(fotbal)
— association football
Catalan:
futbol
— association football
Catalan:
fútbal
— association football
Chichewa:
mpira
— association football
Chinese Cantonese:
足球
(zuk1 kau4)
— association football
Eastern Min Chinese:
跤球
(kă-giù)
— association football
Hakka Chinese:
足球
(chiuk-khiù)
— association football
Chinese:
跤球
(zh-min-nan)
— association football
Chinese Mandarin:
足球
(zúqiú)
— association football
Chinese Mandarin:
蹴球
(cùqiú)
— association football
Wu Chinese:
足球
(7tsoq-jieu6)
— association football
Chukchi:
ӄапԓёчеттыргын
(qapḷjočettyrgyn)
— association football
Corsican:
calciu
— association football
Corsican:
futbol
— association football
Corsican:
futbolu
— association football
Corsican:
pallò
— association football
Corsican:
ballò
— association football
Czech:
fotbal
— association football
Czech:
kopaná
— association football
Danish:
fodbold
— association football
Dhivehi:
ފުޓްބޯލްް
— association football
Dinka:
adiircök
— association football
Central Dusun:
mimbuul
— association football
Dutch:
voetbal
— association football
Esperanto:
futbalo
— association football
Esperanto:
piedpilkado
— association football
Estonian:
jalgpall
— association football
Estonian:
vutt
— association football
Faroese:
fótbóltur
— association football
Finnish:
jalkapallo
— association football
Finnish:
futis
— association football
French:
football
— association football
French:
foot
— association football
French:
soccer
— association football
Saterland Frisian:
Foutbal
— association football
West-Frisian:
fuotbal
— association football
Friulian:
balon
— association football
Galician:
fútbol
— association football
Georgian:
ფეხბურთი
(pexburti)
— association football
German:
Fußball
— association football
German:
Fussball
— association football
Bavarian German:
Fuaßboi
— association football
Greek:
ποδόσφαιρο
(podósfairo)
— association football
Greenlandic:
isikkamik arsaanneq
— association football
Greenlandic:
arsaanneq
— association football
Gujarati:
ફૂટબૉલ
(phūṭbŏl)
— association football
Gujarati:
પગદડો
(pagadḍo)
— association football
Hawaiian:
pōwāwae
— association football
Hebrew:
כַּדּוּרֶגֶל
(kadurégel)
— association football
Hindi:
फ़ुटबॉल
(fuṭbŏl)
— association football
Hindi:
फ़ुटबाल
(fuṭbāl)
— association football
Hindi:
फुटबॉल
(phuṭbŏl)
— association football
Hindi:
फुटबाल
(phuṭbāl)
— association football
Hindi:
पैरगेंद
(pairgẽd)
— association football
Hungarian:
labdarúgás
— association football
Hungarian:
foci
— association football
Hungarian:
futball
— association football
Hunsrik:
Fusball
— association football
Icelandic:
fótbolti
— association football
Icelandic:
knattspyrna
— association football
Indonesian:
sepak bola
— association football
Interlingua:
football
— association football
Inuktitut:
ᐊᔪᒃᑕᖅ
(ayoktaq)
— association football
Irish:
peil
— association football
Irish:
sacar
— association football
Italian:
calcio
— association football
Japanese:
サッカー
(sakkā)
— association football
Japanese:
蹴球
(shūkyū)
— association football
Japanese:
フットボール
(futtobōru)
— association football
Japanese:
アソシエーション・フットボール
(asoshiēshon futtobōru)
— association football
Japanese:
ア式蹴球
(a-shiki shūkyū)
— association football
Jeju:
축구
(chukgu)
— association football
Kabyle:
takurt n uḍar
— association football
Kannada:
ಸಾಕರ್
(sākar)
— association football
Kannada:
ಫುಟ್ಬಾಲ್
(phuṭbāl)
— association football
Kashmiri:
فُٹ بال
(fuṭ bāl)
— association football
Kazakh:
футбол
(futbol)
— association football
Khmer:
បាល់ទាត់
(bal tŏət)
— association football
Khmer:
កីឡាបាល់ទាត់
(kəylaa bal tŏət)
— association football
Korean:
축구
(chukgu)
— association football
Korean:
풋볼
(putbol)
— association football
Northern Kurdish:
futbol
— association football
Kyrgyz:
футбол
(futbol)
— association football
Kyrgyz:
буттоп
(buttop)
— association football
Lao:
ເຕະບານ
(te bān)
— association football
Lao:
ຟຸດບານ
(fut bān)
— association football
Latin:
pedilūdium
— association football
Latvian:
futbols
— association football
Latvian:
kājbumba
— association football
Lithuanian:
futbolas
— association football
Lombard:
fóball
— association football
Lombard:
ballon
— association football
Luxembourgish:
Foussball
— association football
Macedonian:
фу́дбал
(fúdbal)
— association football
Malay:
bola sepak
— association football
Malay:
sepak bola
— association football
Brunei Malay:
bula sipak
— association football
Malayalam:
ഫുട്ബോൾ
(phuṭbōḷ)
— association football
Malayalam:
സോക്കർ
(sōkkaṟ)
— association football
Maltese:
futbol
— association football
Manx:
soccer
— association football
Manx:
soccar
— association football
Māori:
poi whana
— association football
Marathi:
फुटबॉल
(phuṭbŏl)
— association football
Marshallese:
būtbo̧o̧ļ
— association football
Miami:
aakalaahšima paaskoontia
— association football
Mongolian:
хөлбөмбөг
(xölbömbög)
— association football
Nahuatl:
neicxitapayolhuiliztli
— association football
Navajo:
jooł nabíznítaałí
— association football
Norwegian Bokmål:
fotball
— association football
Norwegian Nynorsk:
fotball
— association football
Occitan:
fotbòl
— association football
Ojibwe:
obasikawaadaanaawaa chi-bikwaakwad
— association football
Pannonian Rusyn:
фодбал
(fodbal)
— association football
Pashto:
فتبال
(fotbál)
— association football
Pashto:
فوټبال
(foṭbãl)
— association football
Persian:
فوتبال پایگوی
(futbâl)
— association football
Picard:
fotbale
— association football
Polish:
piłka nożna
— association football
Polish:
futbol
— association football
Portuguese:
futebol
— association football
Punjabi:
ਫੁਟਬਾਲ
(phuṭbāl)
— association football
Romanian:
fotbal
— association football
Russian:
футбо́л
(futból)
— association football
Russian:
ногомя́ч
(nogomjáč)
— association football
Saliba (Colombia):
futbal
— association football
Campidanese Sardinian:
punta de pei
— association football
Campidanese Sardinian:
culatza
— association football
Sardinian:
calche
— association football
Scots:
fitbaw
— association football
Scots:
fitba
— association football
Scots:
fitbaa
— association football
Scottish Gaelic:
ball-coise
— association football
Serbo-Croatian:
фудбал
— association football
Serbo-Croatian:
ногомет
— association football
Serbo-Croatian:
fudbal
— association football
Serbo-Croatian:
nogomet
— association football
Shan:
မၢၵ်ႇၼင်
(màak nǎng)
— association football
Sicilian:
palluni
— association football
Sicilian:
padduni
— association football
Sicilian:
futtibboll
— association football
Sinhalese:
පාපන්දුව
(pāpanduwa)
— association football
Slovak:
futbal
— association football
Slovak:
fotbal
— association football
Slovene:
nogomet
— association football
Somali:
kubada cagta
— association football
Lower Sorbian:
kopańca
— association football
Lower Sorbian:
balokopanje
— association football
Upper Sorbian:
kopańca
— association football
Sotho:
bolo
— association football
Spanish:
fútbol
— association football
Spanish:
futbol
— association football
Spanish:
balompié
— association football
Spanish:
pambol
— association football
Spanish:
fulbito
— association football
Spanish:
fútbol llanero
— association football
Swahili:
mpira wa miguu
— association football
Swahili:
soka
— association football
Swahili:
kandanda
— association football
Swedish:
fotboll
— association football
Tagalog:
putbol
— association football
Tajik:
футбол
(futbol)
— association football
Tamil:
கால்பந்து
(kālpantu)
— association football
Tarifit:
tšamma
— association football
Tatar:
футбол
(futbol)
— association football
Telugu:
ఫుట్ బాల్
(phuṭ bāl)
— association football
Thai:
ฟุตบอล
(fút-bɔn)
— association football
Tibetan:
རྐང་རྩེད་སྤོ་ལོ
(rkang rtsed spo lo)
— association football
Tigrinya:
ኩዕሶ እግሪ
(kuʿso ʾəgri)
— association football
Tok Pisin:
soka
— association football
Tok Pisin:
kikbal
— association football
Turkish:
ayak topu
— association football
Turkish:
futbol
— association football
Turkish:
tepik
— association football
Turkmen:
futbol
— association football
Ukrainian:
футбо́л
(futból)
— association football
Ukrainian:
со́кер
(sóker)
— association football
Ukrainian:
ко́паний м’яч
(kópanyj mʺjač)
— association football
Urdu:
فٹ بال
(fuṭ bāl)
— association football
Urdu:
فٹبال
(fuṭbāl)
— association football
Urdu:
گیندِ پا
(gend-e-pā)
— association football
Uyghur:
پۇتبول
(putbol)
— association football
Uzbek:
futbol
— association football
Vietnamese:
bóng đá
— association football
Walloon:
fotbal
— association football
Walloon:
fotbale
— association football
Walloon:
fousbal
— association football
Walloon:
fousbale
— association football
Welsh:
pêl-droed
— association football
Wolaytta:
toho kuwaasiya
— association football
Yiddish:
פֿוסבאָל
(fusbol)
— association football
Yoruba:
bọ́ọ̀lù-ẹlẹ́sẹ̀
— association football
Yoruba:
bọ́ọ̀lù àfẹsẹ̀gbá
— association football
Yoruba:
bọ́ọ̀lù
— association football
Zhuang:
cukgiuz
— association football
Zulu:
ibhola
— association football
Armenian:
ավստրալական ֆուտբոլ
(avstralakan futbol)
— game in Northern Territory, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia
Chinese Cantonese:
澳式足球
(ou3 sik1 zuk1 kau4)
— game in Northern Territory, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia
Chinese Mandarin:
澳式足球
(Àoshì zúqiú)
— game in Northern Territory, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia
Czech:
australský fotbal
— game in Northern Territory, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia
Danish:
australsk fodbold
— game in Northern Territory, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia
Faroese:
avstralskur fótbóltur
— game in Northern Territory, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia
Finnish:
australialainen jalkapallo
— game in Northern Territory, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia
French:
football australien
— game in Northern Territory, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia
German:
Australian Football
— game in Northern Territory, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia
Macedonian:
австралиски фудбал
(avstraliski fudbal)
— game in Northern Territory, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia
Marshallese:
būtbo̧o̧ļ in Aujtōrōlia
— game in Northern Territory, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia
Polish:
futbol australijski
— game in Northern Territory, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia
Romanian:
fotbal australian
— game in Northern Territory, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia
Russian:
австрали́йский футбо́л
(avstralíjskij futból)
— game in Northern Territory, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia
Armenian:
ռեգբիլիգ
(ṙegbilig)
— game in New South Wales, Queensland
Danish:
rugby
— game in New South Wales, Queensland
Finnish:
rugby league
— game in New South Wales, Queensland
French:
rugby à XIII
— game in New South Wales, Queensland
Macedonian:
рагби
(ragbi)
— game in New South Wales, Queensland
Romanian:
rugby în XIII
— game in New South Wales, Queensland
Romanian:
rugbi în XIII
— game in New South Wales, Queensland
