boulevard

American  

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

noun

• boulevards
  plural

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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Synonym Usage

See street.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• boulevards
  plural

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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

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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

See Examples For:

boulevard boulevards

Leo cruised down the famous boulevard on the popemobile before celebrating an open-air Mass in the Place de la Concorde, a historic first.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026

On the boulevard itself, parking spots were filling up as drivers hurtled down the busy roadway.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026

Hanging above the boulevard were banners with official slogans including "We must rise".

From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026

After the rally on the main boulevard, groups of protesters marched to the police station to demand the release of 19 demonstrators still being held there following Thursday's incidents.

From Barron's ● Jul. 4, 2026

He had memorized his instructions: Carrying a local newspaper, the Nieuwe Rotterdamse Courant, in his right hand, he walked slowly to a small square at the end of a long boulevard.

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau

Near Vermont and Wilshire boulevards, the closest open dumpster the group found was about a mile away, she said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026

In Paris, authorities have banned a yellow vest march that would have passed through Place de la République and some of the capital’s main shopping boulevards.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2026

Allen said European cities seemed "exotic" with their "open boulevards, tree-lined streets" and old architecture, in contrast to US locations where many of his greatest works were shot, notably New York.

From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026

Meanwhile, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said a drone struck a building near one of the capital's boulevards and a facility at an oil refinery was damaged.

From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026

My fear and discomfort crept beyond the borders of the classroom and accompanied me out onto the wide boulevards.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

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