Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

fairground

American  
[fair-graund] / ˈfɛərˌgraʊnd /

noun

  • fairgrounds
    plural
  1. Often fairgrounds. a place where fairs, horse races, etc., are held; in the U.S. usually an area set aside by a city, county, or state for an annual fair and often containing exhibition buildings.


fairground British  
/ ˈfɛəˌɡraʊnd /

noun

  1. an open space used for a fair or exhibition

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms


Etymology

Origin of fairground

First recorded in 1735–45; fair 2 + ground 1


Explanation

A fairground is an open outdoor area where a fair, circus, or some other exhibition sets up temporarily. Many county fairs are put on at the same fairground for a week or two each summer. Many funnel cakes are eaten there. Most fairgrounds have space for rides like Ferris wheels and bumper cars. Agricultural fairs might also have exhibit areas where visitors can see animals, handmade items, baked goods, giant watermelons, and other impressive produce. A traveling circus or carnival might also set up on fairground. The central section of a fairground is usually called a "midway."

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

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.

See Examples For:

On the night of the quinceañera in Alice, Pulido made a second stop at a birthday party at the Jim Wells County fairground.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 5, 2026

A fairground train carrying children made its way through the crowd, its Christmas soundtrack drowned out by the supportive honks of cars.

From Barron's ● Dec. 23, 2025

He travelled the country for decades with fairground rides, games and snack vans, the remnants of which can be seen around the yard, including a carousel horse displayed in a lounge window.

From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2025

Adips says the fairground industry "has a record that would be the envy of many industries in this country" but it "will always look at learning points to make things safer".

From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2025

Grandma hail told us to cover our heads against the fairground sun.

From "A Long Way from Chicago" by Richard Peck

In more than two hours at the fairgrounds, the senator rarely walked more than a few feet before being approached by a Mainer expressing appreciation or asking her to pose for a photo.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

In August 2024, Novo Nordisk bused its employees to the sprawling Roskilde fairgrounds outside Copenhagen for its annual summer party.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026

My ceremony was in Pomona fairgrounds in 2008.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026

The protesters rallied on Munich's Theresienwiese fairgrounds, denouncing the leadership of Iran's Islamic Republic following the deadly repression of nationwide protests in January.

From Barron's ● Feb. 14, 2026

At the fairgrounds later that night the ticketmen counted their sales and found that for that single day, July 4, paid attendance had totaled 283,273—far greater than the entire first week of the fair.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word


Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Just like flashcards, but way more fun

Don't take our word for it. Leave the boring studying behind and join VocabTrainer today. You'll learn even faster and never look back.

Take me to Vocabulary.com