name of the game

noun

The essential element (needed to reach the principal goal or objective); the overall purpose.

“In the microprocessor business, speed is the name of the game.”

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

noun
  1. idiomaticinformalalmost always preceded by theThe essential element (needed to reach the principal goal or objective); the overall purpose.

    In the microprocessor business, speed is the name of the game.

    2 more examples

    Behind the turntables is DJ Train / Mixin' and scratchin' is the name of the game

    1988, “Supersonic”, performed by J. J. Fad

    Some recipes also use raising agents, but I don’t think they’re really necessary – fluffiness is not the name of the game here.

    2020 January 8, Felicity Cloake, “How to make the perfect gluten-free chocolate brownies”, in The Guardian

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 關鍵 /关键
  • 關鍵 /关键 (guānjiàn)essential element or objective
Finnish pelin henki
  • pelin henkiessential element or objective
Swedish A och O
  • A och Oessential element or objective
Cite this entry
APA

name of the game. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/name%20of%20the%20game

MLA

“name of the game.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/name%20of%20the%20game. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “name of the game,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/name%20of%20the%20game.

Source: name of the game on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.