Kevin
January 19, 2022
Common Questions

Do you know the term GOAT’s meaning? This article will provide the information you need on the term GOAT, from its definition to usage and more!

According to Dictionary, the term GOAT ([ goht/ (ɡəʊt) ] or [ jee-oh-ey-tee ]) refers to the acronym for Greatest of All Time. While not many individuals can claim to be “The GOAT,” there are some who can be called the Greatest of All Time in their respective fields.

On the wide array of social media platforms, you may simply see a goat emoji in lieu of the actual acronym.

Consequently, the meaning of the term GOAT should only be used to represent an individual or team that is truly the greatest of all time—not just someone looking to be great or nearing greatness.

Where Is the Term GOAT Used?

By and large, you will predominantly hear the term GOAT used in the sporting world. The title has been given to those that are the best in the history of their sport: Serena Williams, Michael Jordan, Symone Biles, and Lionel Messi are a few of the more well-known and indisputable GOATs.

In 2018, Tom Brady was the catalyst of the term GOAT being added to the English dictionary, largely due to Brady winning his 7th Super Bowl title in 2017 after the Patriots’ had their miraculous comeback in Super Bowl LI.

While you will hear the term primarily used in the sporting world, GOAT can be used outside of the sporting community. If you find an individual that happens to be the best in their field—unrivaled and unmatched—they also could be referred to as the GOAT in their field.

You could also use the term satirically to refer to a peer, a loved one, or even yourself. You could sarcastically state that your neighbor was the GOAT of forgetting to take his trash to the curb or that your loved one was the GOAT of arriving late for events.

The term GOAT is always capitalized to avoid confusion with the noun “goat” (in reference to the animal closely related to the sheep). You may see a variation of the term with periods following every letter, spelled out as “G.O.A.T.” You can use GOAT and G.O.A.T. interchangeably.

Where Did the Term GOAT Originate?

While we have talked about how the term GOAT is used to reference “Greatest of All Time,” its origins came from a quite predictable place: Muhammad Ali. Over his storied boxing career, Ali simply became known as “The Greatest.”

The Ali Family used an umbrella company for all its intellectual properties for commercial purposes. As you may have guessed, that company was named G.O.A.T. Inc.

In the fall of 92, Muhammad Ali’s wife, Lonnie Ali, incorporated G.O.A.T Inc. Afterward, the term began to grow legs.

As we move into the 2000s, the famed rapper LL Cool J helped to make the term a household name and solidified the word as a definition for the greatest. In 2000, LL released his studio album titled “G.O.A.T.” The album quickly topped the Billboard charts in the United States and shortly after went platinum (a term used in the music industry to reference when an album sells one million copies).

In turn, LL would help to solidify the term GOAT in mainstream pop culture. The rapper made sure to credit Ali in 2016 during an interview with Rolling Stone on the term’s origin.

How Can I Use the Term GOAT?

When you are on social media platforms or simply sending a friend a text message, always remember to write the term GOAT in full uppercase. When conversing in real-life conversations, you can also use the term GOAT. When doing so, remember always to use contexts clues to let your audience know what type of “GOAT” you are referencing.

Below are a few example sentences of how to use GOAT:

“No one can deny that deny that Tom Brady is indeed the GOAT.”
“In your eyes, who do you think is the GOAT of baseball?”
“LOL, you are clearly the GOAT of being late for work!”
“LeBron James is the NBA GOAT.”
“My mother always loved to remind me she was the GOAT of Scrabble.”
“Every time my uncle and brother are in the same room, they start a debate about the GOAT of basketball.”
“Every one of my colleagues refers to me as the GOAT of accounting.”
“As far as anyone can see, he may end up being the GOAT.”
“Do you think Federer is the GOAT of tennis or not?”
“Which athletes do you feel are the GOAT?”
“Pshhh, that movie is hands-down the GOAT!”

What Are Some Related Words and Phrases to GOAT?

Below are a few words and phrases found in the Cambridge dictionary that are related or similar to the term GOAT:

Golden Generation
Winner
Superstar
Titleholder
Leader
Cup Holder
Champ
Front-runner
Medalist
All-American
Number One
Reigning Champion
Victor
Go toe to toe (idiom)
Be a Slam Dunk (idiom)

In summary, the abbreviation GOAT stands for Greatest of All Time, and we can all thank the late great Muhammad Ali for this one.

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Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do's and don'ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.