food court

American

noun

a space, as in a shopping mall, with a concentration of fast-food stalls and usually a common eating area.

Etymology

Origin of food court

First recorded in 1980–85

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.

Seek out longstanding institutions like Tunday Kababi, Raheem’s Kulcha Nihari and Ram Asrey, but also explore newer restaurants in the Hazratganj district and the recently opened Food Valley, the country’s largest outdoor food court.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 20, 2025

The 26-year-old Los Angeles man said he was eating nachos in a food court behind the right-field pavilion and saw Ohtani hit the home run on a television monitor.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 22, 2025

I met him in the food court within eyeline of where it all happened.

From Slate • Oct. 30, 2025

Turns out, the Pentagon food court could rival a suburban mall — or a small college campus.

From Salon • Oct. 21, 2025

Imani’s mom will be there with us, but she’ll just sit in the food court with baby Kendi.

From "Blended" by Sharon M. Draper

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023