ballpark

American  

[bawl-pahrk] / ˈbɔlˌpɑrk /

Or ball park

noun

• ballparks
  plural

1. a tract of land where ball games, especially baseball, are played.

2. a baseball stadium.

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adjective

1. Informal. being an approximation, based on an educated guess.

   Give me a ballpark figure on our total expenses for next year.

idioms

1. in the ballpark, within reasonable, acceptable, or expected limits.

   The price may go up another $10, but that's still in the ballpark.

ballpark British  

/ ˈbɔːlˌpɑːk /

noun

1. a stadium used for baseball games

2. informal

   1. approximate range

      in the right ballpark

   2. ( as modifier )

      a ballpark figure

3. informal a situation; state of affairs

   it's a whole new ballpark for him

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• ballparks
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of ballpark

An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900; ball ¹ + park

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Explanation

A ballpark is the area where baseball is played. When you go to the ballpark, you can sit in the stands, eat a hot dog, and cheer for your favorite team. Ballpark is an American word from the late 1800s, originally a shortened form of baseball park. The ballpark is familiar to baseball fans, their equivalent of a football stadium or a tennis court. Colloquially, you can be "in the ballpark" when you're close or within a certain range: "I'm just guessing how much that car costs, but I bet I'm in the ballpark."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ballpark ballparks

The size of Cruise's star in the movie firmament makes the comparison even less flattering: "Digger" was never going to be in the same ballpark as the multi-billion dollar "Mission: Impossible" franchise.

From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026

With long-dated Treasury yields now well above 5%, that could translate to a yield in the 8% ballpark.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026

Was the food served at Camden Yards, the Orioles’ home ballpark, healthful?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026

Now, if I put in a ballpark 20 hours for the week, great.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026

People looked strange wearing face masks, like a convention of surgeons had accidentally assembled in front of the ballpark.

From "The Dead and the Gone" by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Sections packed with hundreds of rowdy, chanting, bare-chested fans have suddenly appeared at ballparks from St. Petersburg to Seattle, injecting a jolt of life into America’s famously hidebound pastime.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026

Or the idea of ballparks as sacred spaces.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 2, 2026

Although there has been an uptick in recent years, attendance began declining at ballparks around the country in the late 2000s.

From Salon ● Nov. 3, 2025

It’s unclear how many fans were affected, but the problem wasn’t confined to Dodger Stadium — the issue has been ongoing since at least last weekend at MLB ballparks across the country.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2025

Outside the ballparks, America was in the midst of a massive and uncertain shift.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

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