mixed foursome: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowFormal / Technical
Quick answer
What does “mixed foursome” mean?
A team of four people consisting of two men and two women, especially in competitive sports or social activities.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A team of four people consisting of two men and two women, especially in competitive sports or social activities.
Any group or arrangement of four people involving both genders, commonly used in golf and other partnership games, but also applicable to social gatherings or collaborative efforts.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning. The term is used identically in both varieties, primarily within golfing contexts.
Connotations
Connotes formal competition, social sport, and structured partnership. It is a technical term within its domain.
Frequency
Equally low frequency in both dialects, confined largely to sports reporting and club notices.
Grammar
How to Use “mixed foursome” in a Sentence
participate in a mixed foursomethe mixed foursome was won bya mixed foursome competitionorganise a mixed foursomeVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “mixed foursome” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- The mixed-foursome event is on Saturday.
American English
- They played a mixed-foursome format.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rarely used. Might appear in the context of corporate golf days or team-building events.
Academic
Virtually unused outside of sociological studies on gender in sport.
Everyday
Uncommon. Would only be used by those involved in specific sports or social clubs.
Technical
Standard term in golf and some other racket sports or bridge for a specific competitive format.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “mixed foursome”
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “mixed foursome”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “mixed foursome”
- Using 'mixed four' (incomplete).
- Using 'foursome' to mean any four people without the specific mixed-gender implication of this compound term.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Primarily, yes. It is a standard golf format. However, it can be applied to other activities like tennis doubles tournaments or social bridge, but this is less common.
Not exactly. While understood, the term strongly implies an organized, often competitive, partnership activity. It's not typically used for a random social group of four.
A 'foursome' is any group of four people and does not specify gender. A 'mixed foursome' explicitly denotes a group of four consisting of two males and two females, usually in a partnered activity.
Within its specific sporting context (like golf), it remains the standard technical term and is not considered offensive. In broader social language, some may prefer more inclusive phrasing like 'mixed-gender foursome', but the original term is still widely accepted in its niche.
A team of four people consisting of two men and two women, especially in competitive sports or social activities.
Mixed foursome is usually formal / technical in register.
Mixed foursome: in British English it is pronounced /mɪkst ˈfɔːs(ə)m/, and in American English it is pronounced /mɪkst ˈfɔːrsəm/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a GOLF COURSE with FOUR players: two are wearing BLUE (traditionally for boys), two are wearing PINK (traditionally for girls) – a MIXed group of FOUR.
Conceptual Metaphor
PARTNERSHIP IS A BALANCED TEAM (the mixing of genders creates a balanced, complete unit).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'mixed foursome' MOST commonly and correctly used?