GOAT

What Does GOAT Mean in a Text?

The Quick Answer

GOAT means "Greatest Of All Time."

More Observations...

It is an acronym which means "Greatest Of All Time." It is widely used as an honorary title for someone deemed to be number one among their peers, both past and present. A GOAT is the best ever (i.e., the most accomplished individual in the history of an activity). GOATs can exist in any field (e.g. acting, politics, science), but the term is especially popular in sport and music. Especially for fans and historians, GOAT is a title that carries significant weight. Who is the GOAT is the cause of much argument and debate. Fans of a particular player or artist will often claim that their idol is the greatest, with no regard whatsoever to historical context or with no allowance for team or national bias. Journalists play on this by regularly churning out clickbait articles to provoke controversy and increase page views.

In European soccer, the debate is about whether Messi or Ronaldo is the GOAT.

The invention of the term GOAT is credited to Lonnie Ali, the wife of boxer Mohamed Ali. In 1992, Lonnie set up a company called G.O.A.T. Inc., to manage her husband's intellectual property. GOAT probably entered the mainstream in the year 2000, when rapper LL Cool J released an album titled G.O.A.T., which reached number one on the U.S. Billboard 200.

LL Cool J G.O.A.T.

GOAT is very similar in meaning and use to blueprint (best ever).

Image for GOAT

When I write GOAT, I mean this:

"Greatest Of All Time"

Summary of Key Points

"Greatest Of All Time" is, by far, the most common meaning for GOAT when it is used in a text. (Bear in mind that it could have another meaning if used in a different context.)

GOAT
Definition:	Greatest Of All Time
Type:	Acronym
Guessability:	4: Difficult to guess
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

An Academic Look at GOAT

GOAT is an acronym (i.e., an abbreviation spoken like a word). Acronyms differ from initialism abbreviations, which are pronounced using their individual letters (e.g., GOI (Get Over It), GOK (God Only Knows).