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Synonyms

national park

American  

noun

  1. an area of scenic beauty, historical importance, or the like, owned and maintained by a national government for the use of the people.

National Park 1 British  

noun

  1. a mountainous volcanic region in New Zealand, in the central North Island: ski resort

"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
national park 2 British  

noun

  1. an area of countryside for public use designated by a national government as being of notable scenic, environmental, or historical importance

"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 national park

An Americanism dating back to 1865–70

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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.

On Friday, desert iguanas and whiptails scampered across an access road, portions of which wind through the national park.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

The 56-year-old -- known as "Dezi" -- escaped into a national park littered with disused mineshafts.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

Scientists fitted nine Bengal slow lorises with radio collars and followed their movements after releasing them into a national park in northeastern Bangladesh.

From Science Daily • Mar. 3, 2026

Several unions representing national park workers issued a statement last month supporting Joslin’s reinstatement and right to free speech.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 23, 2026

We fed salt to some Nilgiri tahrs—a species of wild goat—in a national park.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel

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.