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.
The cancellations amount to 19% of those who had renewed their policies on the state marketplace during open enrollment, state officials said.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 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
The company, which also operates the domestic Pinduoduo marketplace, is facing intense competition in China from the likes of Alibaba and JD.com.
From Barron's • May 27, 2026
The analysts lower their operating forecasts by around 4% after the online automotive marketplace reported results for fiscal 2026 that missed consensus expectations.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026
For a brief moment, she thought of the old woman from the marketplace, what she’d said about magic.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
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.
