concourse

American  

[kon-kawrs, -kohrs, kong-] / ˈkɒn kɔrs, -koʊrs, ˈkɒŋ- /

noun

concourses plural

1. an assemblage; gathering.

   a concourse of people.

2. a driveway or promenade, especially in a park.

3. a boulevard or other broad thoroughfare.

4. a large open space for accommodating crowds, as in a railroad station.

5. an area or grounds for racing, athletic sports, etc.

6. an act or instance of running or coming together; confluence.

   a concourse of events.

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concourse British  

/ ˈkɒŋ-, ˈkɒnkɔːs /

noun

1. a crowd; throng

2. a coming together; confluence

   a concourse of events

3. a large open space for the gathering of people in a public place

4. a ground for sports, racing, athletics, etc

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• concourses
  plural

Etymology

Origin of concourse

1350–1400; Middle English concours < Middle French; replacing Middle English concurs < Latin concursus assembly, verbal noun corresponding to concurrere to assemble, collide. See concur, course

Explanation

The wide, open area that's either inside or in front of a building is called a concourse. A concourse is often located where many paths or hallways meet. Many kinds of buildings have a concourse, including train stations, airports, hotels, and shopping malls. Concourses are large enough for many people to congregate there — and this crowd or gathering of people can also be called a concourse. A movie star visiting a small city might find himself surrounded by a huge concourse of fans asking for autographs. The Latin root is concursus, "a running together," and the word's original sense was "the flowing of a crowd of people."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

concourse concourses

Rushing hammered the grooved fastball to left-center field, just shy of the Citizens Bank Park concourse.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

Reportedly, doors will open for guests at 3:30 p.m. for a cocktail reception at 4 p.m. on the sixth-floor concourse.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026

When the Stars and Stripes’ clash with Australia kicked off last week, there wasn’t a single person in line at the “Cityside” concession stand on the concourse behind the Australian goal.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 2026

Despite taking shelter in the concourse for the whole of the delay, most supporters looked as though they stayed with the stadium appearing full again upon the restart.

From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026

He walked back to the concourse to see what was going on.

From "Eleven" by Tom Rogers

New concourses, expanded corridors and improved passenger facilities have reshaped the transit hub, which serves hundreds of thousands of commuters and travelers each day and remains the busiest rail station in the United States.

From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2026

The approximately 70,000 spectators, many already in ponchos and rain coats, filed out and, in little more than 15 minutes, the concourses of "the Linc" resembled a huge train station on a holiday travel day.

From Barron's ● Jun. 23, 2026

Fifa says numerous empty seats were visible in the near-sell-out Group A match between South Korea and the Czech Republic because of fans remaining on concourses.

From BBC ● Jun. 12, 2026

From bag-check to security to the serpentine concourses filled with high-end shops, private airline clubs, restaurants, spas and more, making your way through a supersize airport terminal is like a journey in itself.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2025

Patrons make suggestions to other patrons they pass on the concourses, pointing out remarkable tents they have visited already.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

Related Words

• foyer
• lounge