Meaning & use
goalkeeper
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
In sports like soccer and hockey, the player whose main job is to stop the ball or puck from going into the goal.
Grammar: A countable noun; use 'a goalkeeper' or 'the goalkeeper'.
Patterns
- the goalkeeper for a team
- a goalkeeper saves something
The goalkeeper made a great save in the final minute.
She has been the team's goalkeeper for three seasons.
He wants to be a goalkeeper when he grows up.
Word forms
| plural | goalkeepers |
|---|
Common combinations
- backup goalkeeper
- The backup goalkeeper played when the starter was injured.
- goalkeeper gloves
- He bought new goalkeeper gloves for the season.
- play goalkeeper
- She likes to play goalkeeper because she enjoys diving for the ball.
- the opposing goalkeeper
- The striker shot the ball right at the opposing goalkeeper.
Synonyms and how they differ
- goalie
- More informal and common in everyday speech; 'goalkeeper' is the standard term in official contexts.
- keeper
- A short form used mainly in soccer and hockey; it is less formal than 'goalkeeper'.
Word family
- goalkeeping noun
- The activity or skill of being a goalkeeper.
Commonly confused: goalkeeper or goaltender?
goalkeeper vs goaltender
Used mainly in ice hockey and lacrosse; 'goalkeeper' is the general term across sports.
Practice
In soccer, who is allowed to catch the ball with their hands inside the penalty area?
Choose one answer.
The goalkeeper is the only player who can handle the ball with their hands inside the penalty area; other players may not.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “goalkeeper”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.