boulevard
Americannoun
-
a broad avenue in a city, usually having areas at the sides or center for trees, grass, or flowers.
-
Also called boulevard strip. Upper Midwest. a strip of lawn between a sidewalk and the curb.
noun
-
-
a wide usually tree-lined road in a city, often used as a promenade
-
( capital as part of a street name )
Sunset Boulevard
-
-
-
a grass strip between the pavement and road
-
the strip of ground between the edge of a private property and the road
-
the centre strip of a road dividing traffic travelling in different directions
-
Synonym Usage
See street.
Etymology
Origin of boulevard
First recorded in 1765–75; from French, Middle French (originally Picard, Walloon ): “rampart, avenue built on the site of a razed rampart,” from Middle Dutch bol(le)werc; see bulwark
Explanation
A boulevard is a type of street. You can get to school by taking the four-lane boulevard, but to avoid all the traffic, you might use the less-traveled side streets. A boulevard is a street or avenue, especially one that's very wide and lined with trees. Many boulevards have a median strip of grass and sometimes trees. Boulevard strip is the regional term for a patch of grass between a curb and a sidewalk, which in other places is called a tree lawn. The French word boulevard literally means "rampart," or "defensive embankment." Later it was adapted to mean "a promenade beside a rampart."
Vocabulary lists containing boulevard
List 10
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
List 8
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for May 25–May 31, 2024
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
The US president already has a boulevard leading to the airport named after him.
From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026
Nancy Guthrie’s home boulevard just north of Tucson, Arizona, makes for a unique crime scene.
From Slate • Feb. 23, 2026
In Westwood — the epicenter of the community, where the eponymous boulevard is lined by storefronts covered in Persian script — the widespread opposition to Iran’s hard-line theocracy is hard to miss.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 14, 2026
Everything goes on as usual along a busy boulevard in eastern Caracas.
From BBC • Nov. 22, 2025
They walked through the zoo and down the boulevard, the three of them, Amanda and Mars Bar/ Snickers and Maniac, Amanda grumbling all the way: .
From "Maniac Magee" by Jerry Spinelli
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.
