fairground
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of fairground
Explanation
A fairground is an open outdoor area where a fair, circus, or some other exhibition sets up temporarily. Many county fairs are put on at the same fairground for a week or two each summer. Many funnel cakes are eaten there. Most fairgrounds have space for rides like Ferris wheels and bumper cars. Agricultural fairs might also have exhibit areas where visitors can see animals, handmade items, baked goods, giant watermelons, and other impressive produce. A traveling circus or carnival might also set up on fairground. The central section of a fairground is usually called a "midway."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
On the night of the quinceañera in Alice, Pulido made a second stop at a birthday party at the Jim Wells County fairground.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 5, 2026
A fairground train carrying children made its way through the crowd, its Christmas soundtrack drowned out by the supportive honks of cars.
From Barron's ● Dec. 23, 2025
He travelled the country for decades with fairground rides, games and snack vans, the remnants of which can be seen around the yard, including a carousel horse displayed in a lounge window.
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2025
"We know what our limit is and we will never exceed it: we are not fairground monkeys."
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2025
The fairground was a pasture along a dusty road this side of the county seat.
From "A Long Way from Chicago" by Richard Peck
He engineers several first-rate set pieces, from the fairgrounds of the Midwest to a finale in Dodger Stadium.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 23, 2026
The protesters rallied on Munich's Theresienwiese fairgrounds, denouncing the leadership of Iran's Islamic Republic following the deadly repression of nationwide protests in January.
From Barron's ● Feb. 14, 2026
The town of 2,000 also features a full Pusser museum, the Buford Pusser fairgrounds, a water tower with Buford’s image on it, and the Buford Pusser Highway.
From Slate ● Nov. 6, 2025
The HSE has not commented on the list but says it expects those who enjoy fairgrounds to be kept safe and adds that incidents are rare.
From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2025
On the night of June 13, just after nine o’clock, another abrupt storm had struck the fairgrounds, and this one also seemed to single out the Manufactures and Liberal Arts Building.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
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.
