Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for marketplace. Search instead for online marketplaces.
Synonyms

marketplace

American  
[mahr-kit-pleys] / ˈmɑr kɪtˌpleɪs /
Or market place

noun

  1. an open area in a town where a market is held.

  2. the commercial world; the realm of business, trade, and economics.

  3. any sphere considered as a place where ideas, thoughts, artistic creations, etc., compete for recognition.

marketplace British  
/ ˈmɑːkɪtˌpleɪs /

noun

  1. a place where a public market is held

  2. any centre where ideas, opinions, etc, are exchanged

  3. the commercial world of buying and selling

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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!

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

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.

Justice Department officials met with broadcast-television station operators earlier this week as part of its antitrust investigation into the sports-media marketplace, according to people familiar with the matter.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

AXS and Eventim is the official secondary ticket marketplace of the LA28 Games and Ticketmaster and Sports Illustrated Tickets have also signed on as additional verified resale platforms.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026

Truist also sees North America marketplace sales remaining healthy, growing around 10% year over year.

From Barron's • Apr. 17, 2026

States that use the federal online marketplace HealthCare.gov rather than offering their own saw higher average rates of nonpayment.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

Maa embroidered the borders for saris sold in our marketplace.

From "Homeless Bird" by Gloria Whelan

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.