noun
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a place where a public market is held
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any centre where ideas, opinions, etc, are exchanged
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the commercial world of buying and selling
Etymology
Origin of marketplace
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at market, place
Explanation
A marketplace is a location where people buy goods. When you travel to a new city, you should visit a marketplace to purchase souvenirs for your friends back home. Marketplace often describes an outdoor market where vendors sell produce, meat, crafts, and other goods. Depending where you are, a marketplace might be called a bazaar, a palengke, or a souk. A more general meaning is an economic system or market, or simply the everyday world where things get bought and sold. You should probably test your new lasagna-flavored ice cream in the marketplace to see if anyone will want to buy it!
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.
He doesn’t abandon art, but he can’t summon the urge to sell himself or his work, to graft his joy in making things onto the caprices of the marketplace.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026
“During these times of supply disruption and a lot of puts and takes in the marketplace, customers tend to come to Dell to look for a calming hand,” Chief Operating Officer Jeff Clarke tells analysts.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026
"To do so earlier would aid counterfeiters and cause confusion in the marketplace, lowering confidence in U.S. currency."
From BBC • May 28, 2026
Despite concerns over a memory chip shortage and CEO transition, Best Buy is diversifying with a marketplace and advertising, and improving sales.
From Barron's • May 28, 2026
She was so tired that she was ready to curl up, right there in the marketplace, and let all the potion-seekers step over her.
From "Breadcrumbs" by Anne Ursu
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.
