plaza

American  

[plah-zuh, plaz-uh] / ˈplɑ zə, ˈplæz ə /

noun

1. a public square or open space in a city or town.

2. shopping plaza.

3. an area along an expressway where public facilities, as service stations and restrooms, are available.

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plaza British  

/ ˈplaθa, ˈplɑːzə /

noun

1. an open space or square, esp in Spain or a Spanish-speaking country

2. 1. a modern complex of shops, buildings, and parking areas

   2. ( capital when part of a name )

      Rockefeller Plaza

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Etymology

Origin of plaza

First recorded in 1675–85; from Spanish, from Latin platea “street,” from Greek plateîa “broad street”; place

Example Sentences

Now, families and fitness buffs fill up well-lit public plazas at night.

From The Wall Street Journal

At their point of contact, a large triangular slice of the addition is cut away, exposing the sides of the boxes and creating a street-level plaza.

From The Wall Street Journal

The corporate-esque recent Music Center plaza could use a little excitement, maybe a Phase II.

From Los Angeles Times

In Northern California, Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty announced on X that he is appointing a council subcommittee to guide renaming the city’s downtown plaza park, which is named for Chavez.

From Los Angeles Times

She declared that Wednesday would be a holiday for everyone except essential workers, “so our youth can go out to the streets, the plazas, the parks and ballfields to celebrate.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• park
• square