technical foul

noun

basketball
: a foul that is assessed to a player, coach, or team typically for unsportsmanlike conduct (such as arguing with an official or taunting an opponent) and does not usually involve physical contact with an opponent while the ball is in play

called also technical

compare personal foul

Examples of technical foul in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
With 1:45 remaining in the first half, Braun taunted after a slam dunk that put Kansas up 44-29 and received a technical foul. Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 2 Nov. 2024 Meanwhile, forward Draymond Green wasted no time in picking up his first technical foul of the season. Ross Terrell, Axios, 24 Oct. 2024 After a minute of arguing with both referees, with Kerr shooing Green away from one, the power forward picked up his first technical foul of the year. Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 23 Oct. 2024 For the second offense a team technical foul will be called. Steve Fryer, Orange County Register, 10 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for technical foul 

Word History

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of technical foul was in 1896

Dictionary Entries Near technical foul

Cite this Entry

“Technical foul.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/technical%20foul. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!