football
noun
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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
Bob Holt, arkansasonline.com, 9 Apr. 2024
Boise State football coach Spencer Danielson got a good look at new quarterback Malachi Nelson Saturday in the Broncos’ first scrimmage of spring camp, which was closed to fans and the media.
—Ron Counts, Idaho Statesman, 7 Apr. 2024
Alabama has never won a basketball college national championship title – the school is famous for its football team – and so is treading on new ground.
—Ben Morse, CNN, 6 Apr. 2024
Jones played football at Mississippi State, Holthus noted, so is likely happy whenever Iowa beats his old college conference rival South Carolina, which could happen Sunday should the teams play for the championship.
—Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 5 Apr. 2024
But athletic director Jen Cohen needed someone with the coaching chops and personality to stand next to her other headliners, football coach Lincoln Riley and women’s basketball coach Lindsay Gottlieb.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 5 Apr. 2024
Less than eight weeks after Mack was born, Andrews was back at work reporting during football season.
—Anna Halkidis, Parents, 28 Mar. 2024
Gio Reyna and Tyler Adams both found the net against Mexico, and in Haji Wright the U.S boast one of English football's recent revelations.
—Joseph O'Sullivan, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
For years, as greater awareness of injuries have influenced football, kickoffs have been under the safety microscope.
—Becky Sullivan, NPR, 27 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'football.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Football.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/football. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.
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football
noun
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