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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!

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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.

“We recognize that there is volatility in the marketplace, and we want to express our guidance” in a way that accounts for that volatility, Lynch said.

From MarketWatch • May 7, 2026

Tickets for the six matches at Toronto Stadium were removed from the official marketplace last week in response to the Canadian province passing its 2026 'Putting Fans First Act'.

From BBC • May 7, 2026

US video game retailer GameStop made a takeover bid on Sunday to buy eBay for about $55.5 billion in an attempt to turn the online marketplace into a competitor to e-commerce giant Amazon.

From Barron's • May 4, 2026

Discovery and unwind Ellison’s Skydance Media’s takeover of Paramount, alleging that both deals reduce marketplace competition.

From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2026

In the marketplace they buy and sell and dance.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

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.