technical foul

noun

basketball
: a foul that is assessed to a player, coach, or team typically for unsportsmanlike conduct (such as arguing with an official or taunting an opponent) and does not usually involve physical contact with an opponent while the ball is in play

called also technical

compare personal foul

Examples of technical foul in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This incident came after Edwards was given a technical foul over complaining about a call to a referee. David Faris, Newsweek, 29 Dec. 2024 Cunningham and Isaiah Stewart each earned technical fouls in the next few minutes. Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 29 Dec. 2024 Sixers star Joel Embiid was also ejected from the game after receiving two unsportsmanlike conduct technical fouls. Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 24 Dec. 2024 For their roles, Marshall, Nurkic and Washington were assessed technical fouls and ejected from the game. David Faris, Newsweek, 28 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for technical foul 

Word History

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of technical foul was in 1896

Dictionary Entries Near technical foul

Cite this Entry

“Technical foul.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/technical%20foul. Accessed 9 Jan. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!