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yellow card

American  

noun

  1. Soccer. a yellow card shown by the referee to a player being cautioned for a violation.

yellow card British  

noun

  1. a card of a yellow colour displayed by a referee to indicate that a player has been officially cautioned for some offence

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. (tr) to caution (a player) officially for some offence

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. serving as a warning; intended to warn

    a yellow card system is in place
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It was later claimed on TV coverage of the game that the yellow card had been "rescinded" by the fourth official.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

Arrizabalaga already had Arsenal's nerves on edge with an injudicious dash from goal which resulted in a yellow card for a panicked foul on Jeremy Doku.

From BBC • Mar. 22, 2026

Saturday's was Itoje's second yellow card of the tournament, after also being sin-binned against Wales.

From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026

Vinicius had also been shown a yellow card for celebrating in front of Benfica supporters after his winning goal, which gave his side a first-leg advantage.

From BBC • Feb. 25, 2026

"Something the patronne's daughter said. A corking row. She was rather splendid, you know. Showed her yellow card and demanded the patronne's daughter's too. I say it was a row."

From "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.