An Americanism dating back to 1865–70
How does national-park compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
At least three people have died after a vehicle collided with an elephant in a national park in Uganda, officials have said.
From BBC • May 25, 2026
Even before the summer rush, California’s most visited national park is seeing big crowds — the most people in a decade, according to National Park System data.
From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026
The couple will later meet with Native Americans at a national park, before departing for the British island territory of Bermuda in the Atlantic.
From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026
In 2021, Parks Canada, which oversees the national park, was working out whether to try to save them by investing some $24 million in a major caribou breeding program.
From Slate • Apr. 28, 2026
The Smokies achieved their natural splendor without the guidance of a national park service and don’t actually need it now.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
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.
