Goalpost

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɡəʊlpəʊst/

Definitions

1. A target or objective to be achieved, such as a desired result in sports or life ; a physical frame consisting of two vertical posts and a crossbar forming the scoring area in sports like soccer or rugby
2. An aim or end-point that guides effort and planning ; the set of upright posts and horizontal bar used to define the scoring zone in various games
3. A defined purpose or ambition that directs actions ; the goal structure made of two posts and a bar used to signal scoring in certain sports

Etymology: The goalpost is a plain compound: "goal" joined to "post," the upright that a goal is built around. The noun "goal" itself is an older English word of uncertain ancestry, so the interesting part here is how the two halves came together to name a physical frame and then, by extension, a fixed target. Early on, the posts were simply the two uprights marking where the ball had to pass. Over time the same word came to stand for the scoring area as a whole, and then for the thing a person is aiming at. Someone who keeps moving the goalposts is changing the rules of success partway through, which shows how far the word has travelled from the wooden frame on the pitch.

Synonyms: marker, indicator, target, aim, objective