football

noun

foot·ball ˈfu̇t-ˌbȯl

: any of several games played between two teams on a usually rectangular field having goalposts or goals at each end and whose object is to get the ball over a goal line, into a goal, or between goalposts by running, passing, or kicking: such as

British : soccer

British : rugby

: an American game played between two teams of 11 players each in which the ball is in possession of one side at a time and is advanced by running or passing

Australia : australian rules football

Canada : canadian football

: an inflated oval ball used in the game of football

British : a soccer ball

: something treated roughly especially as the subject of a prolonged dispute

the issue became a political football in Congress

footballer

ˈfu̇t-ˌbȯ-lər

noun

Did you know?

The game of US football evolved in the 19th century as a combination of rugby and soccer. The first intercollegiate match was played in 1869 between Princeton University and Rutgers College. In 1873, the first collegiate rules were standardized and the Ivy League was formed. Collegiate football grew into one of the most popular American sports. Professional football began in the 1890s, but did not become a major sport until after World War II. The National Football League (NFL) was formed (from an earlier association) in 1922; in 1966 it subsumed the rival American Football League (created in 1959). The NFL is now divided into an American and a National conference; the conference winners compete for the Super Bowl championship. A Football Hall of Fame is located in Canton, Ohio.

Examples of football in a Sentence

He played a lot of football in high school and college.

Recent Examples on the Web

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

The 49ers beat the Buccaneers 23-20 Sunday in a mess of a football game. —

Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 10 Nov. 2024 Subscribe now The top performances from the Orange County high school football games in the first week of playoffs. —

Ocvarsity Sports Staff, Orange County Register, 10 Nov. 2024 The Ravel, which is the length of a football field, has just 55 bedrooms. —

James Rampton, theweek, 6 Nov. 2024 Chip Souza joins Matt Jones on the desk for some Razorback football talk, then Anthony Kristensen calls in from the road to talk Arkansas basketball ahead of their season opener against Lipscomb on Wednesday. —

Anthony Kristensen, arkansasonline.com, 6 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for football