plaza

noun

pla·​za ˈplä-zə How to pronounce plaza (audio) ˈpla- How to pronounce plaza (audio)
Synonyms of plazanext
1
a
: a public square in a city or town
b
: an open area usually located near urban buildings and often featuring walkways, trees and shrubs, places to sit, and sometimes shops
2
: a place on a thoroughfare (such as a turnpike) at which all traffic must temporarily stop (as to pay tolls)
3
: an area adjacent to an expressway which has service facilities (such as a restaurant, gas station, and restrooms)
4

Examples of plaza in a Sentence

They put his statue in the town's plaza.
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.
The attempt to secure new operators for the plazas came under public scrutiny last year. Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 13 Mar. 2026 Elders get their hearing checked and play mahjongg and practice calligraphy in the shade of empty plazas. Xuan Juliana Wang, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026 The nonprofit also had ambitions of obtaining public funding to help redevelop several larger properties in the area, including the former Clark Elementary School, a pair of vacant lots owned by the city of Hartford, and Unity Plaza, one of the area’s few commercial shopping plazas. Andrew Brown, Hartford Courant, 11 Mar. 2026 Downtown, museums like The Broad sit near lively outdoor plazas, while main thoroughfares like Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice and Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles proper invite visitors to wander between boutiques, cafes, and galleries under the sun. Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 11 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for plaza

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, from Latin platea broad street — more at place

First Known Use

1683, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of plaza was in 1683

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Plaza.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plaza. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

plaza

noun
pla·​za ˈplaz-ə How to pronounce plaza (audio) ˈpläz- How to pronounce plaza (audio)
: a public square in a city or town

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