bazaar
Americannoun
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(esp in the Orient) a market area, esp a street of small stalls
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a sale in aid of charity, esp of miscellaneous secondhand or handmade articles
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a shop where a large variety of goods is sold
Etymology
Origin of bazaar
1590–1600; earlier bazarro < Italian ≪ Persian bāzār market
Explanation
A bazaar is a market that has rows and rows of little shops selling miscellaneous stuff — like tube socks, velvet paintings, and corn on the cob. Bazaar is originally a Persian word, and means "marketplace" all over the Middle East. The word was picked up by the Italians, and spread through Europe and into English. At a bazaar in Istanbul, you'd find food, electronics, clothes — useful stuff. In English, we tend to use bazaar for something closer to a flea market. Although they sound alike, bazaar has no relation to bizarre (the super weird).
Vocabulary lists containing bazaar
Commonly Confused Words, List 1
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"Shooting an Elephant" by George Orwell
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Commonly Confused Words, List 3
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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.
Now open 365 days, as the sign on Olympic Boulevard states, Santee Alley is our very own bazaar.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026
The rapid fall in the value of the rial sparked the protests in Tehran's bazaar in late December, which soon spread across the country.
From BBC • Feb. 26, 2026
The demonstrations in Iran took on a different tenor, initially spearheaded by conservative bazaar workers disgruntled at the collapse in Iran’s currency.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 1, 2026
“All the shop owners closed their shops and said, ‘We can’t sell anything,’” said a 40-year-old woman who operates a clothing shop in the bazaar with her husband.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 22, 2026
The hustler intended to pawn a suit for ten dollars to attend and patronize the bazaar.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
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.
