G.O.A.T. stands for Greatest Of All Time. It's a way to describe someone who has achieved more, performed better, or had a bigger impact in their field than anyone else in history.

The term became popular in sports. Fans debate endlessly about who deserves the title in basketball: is it Michael Jordan, LeBron James, or someone else? In soccer, is it Pelé or Lionel Messi? These arguments never really end because comparing athletes from different eras is tricky. How do you compare a player from the 1960s to one playing today with modern training and technology?

The acronym works because it's also the word for a sure-footed mountain animal, which makes it memorable and fun to use. You might hear someone say that Serena Williams is the G.O.A.T. of tennis, or that a certain author is the G.O.A.T. of mystery novels.

People now use G.O.A.T. beyond sports. A kid might joke that their grandmother makes the G.O.A.T. chocolate chip cookies, or declare their favorite video game character the G.O.A.T.

When you call someone the G.O.A.T., you're making a bold claim that invites discussion and debate, which is part of what makes the term so popular.