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
Maura Carey, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2025
In October, Opta’s league rankings model assessed MLS to be the ninth-strongest men’s league in world football, trailing only Brazil’s Serie A among non-European circuits.
—Jeff Rueter, New York Times, 8 June 2025
The agreement brings a seismic shift to hundreds of schools that were forced to reckon with the reality that their players are the ones producing the billions in TV and other revenue, mostly through football and basketball, that keep this machine humming.
—Eddie Pells, Baltimore Sun, 7 June 2025
Herb and Joya’s daughter, Jade, 31, has a daughter, Jamia, and is expecting another daughter named Joy with Florida International University assistant football coach Jelani Berassa.
—Michael Butler, Miami Herald, 7 June 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Football.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/football. Accessed 11 Jun. 2025.
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football
noun
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