boulevard

American  

[bool-uh-vahrd, boo-luh-] / ˈbʊl əˌvɑrd, ˈbu lə- /

noun

1. a broad avenue in a city, usually having areas at the sides or center for trees, grass, or flowers.

2. Also called boulevard strip.  Upper Midwest. a strip of lawn between a sidewalk and the curb.

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boulevard British  

/ ˈbuːlvɑː, -vɑːd /

noun

1. 1. a wide usually tree-lined road in a city, often used as a promenade

   2. ( capital as part of a street name )

      Sunset Boulevard

2. 1. a grass strip between the pavement and road

   2. the strip of ground between the edge of a private property and the road

   3. the centre strip of a road dividing traffic travelling in different directions

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Related Words

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."

Example Sentences

It was on a Sunday morning in mid-March when Riverside County sheriff’s personnel attempted a vehicle stop at Perris Boulevard and Iris Avenue in Moreno Valley.

From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026

If a subway would work anywhere in modern Los Angeles, conventional wisdom said, it was along Wilshire Boulevard.

From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026

All northbound lanes between Channel Street and Harry Bridges Boulevard were still closed Wednesday.

From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026

There was a short pursuit that ended when the pickup truck crashed with a vehicle at Robertson Boulevard and Burton Way, police said in a statement.

From Los Angeles Times • May 3, 2026

He pulled the car off the Outer Drive at Seventh Street, drove north on Michigan Boulevard to Lake Street, then headed west for two blocks, looking for number 16.

From "Native Son" by Richard Wright

Related Words

• artery
• avenue
• highway
• thoroughfare