Noun

Singular goal

Plural goals

goal (plural goals)

1. A result that one is attempting to achieve.
2. In many sports, an area into which the players attempt to put an object.
3. The act of placing the object into the goal.
4. Point(s) scored in a game as a result of placing the object into the goal.
5. 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.

Synonyms

• (a result one is attempting to achieve:) ambition, object of desire, objective, purpose, aspiration
• See also Wikisaurus:goal

Derived terms

Look at pages starting with goal.

• goalball
• goal difference
• goalie
• goalkeeper
• goalgetter
• goalpost
• goaltender
• goal umpire
• golden goal
• silver goal
• subgoal

Dutch

A goal or objective is a projected state of affairs that a person or a system plans or intends to achieve—a personal or organizational desired end-point in some sort of assumed development. Many people endeavor to reach goals within a finite time by setting deadlines.

A desire or an intention becomes a goal if and only if one activates an action for achieving it (see goal-oriented).

It is roughly similar to purpose or aim, the anticipated result which guides action, or an end, which is an object, either a physical object or an abstract object, that has intrinsic value.

Goal and types of goals

Goal-setting ideally involves establishing specific, measurable and time-targeted objectives. Work on the theory of goal-setting suggests that it can serve as an effective tool for making progress by ensuring that participants have a clear awareness of what they must do to achieve or help achieve an objective. On a personal level, the process of setting goals allows people to specify and then work towards their own objectives — most commonly financial or career-based goals. Goal-setting comprises a major component of Personal development.