an area of land, usually in a largely natural state, for the enjoyment of the public, having facilities for rest and recreation, often owned, set apart, and managed by a city, state, or nation.
an enclosed area or a stadium used for sports.
a baseball park.
a considerable extent of land forming the grounds of a country house.
British. a tract of land reserved for wild animals; game preserve.
Western U.S. a broad valley in a mountainous region.
a space where vehicles, especially automobiles, may be assembled or stationed.
any area set aside for public recreation.
Military.
the space occupied by the assembled guns, tanks, or vehicles of a military unit.
the assemblage so formed.
(formerly) the ammunition trains and reserve artillery of an army.
Automotive. a setting in an automatic transmission in which the transmission is in neutral and the brake is engaged.
to place or leave (a vehicle) in a certain place for a period of time.
Informal. to put, leave, or settle.
Park your coat on the chair. Park yourself over there for a moment.
to assemble (equipment or supplies) in a military park.
to enclose in or as in a park.
Informal. to invest (funds) in a stock, bond, etc., considered to be a safe investment with little chance of depreciation, as during a recession or an unstable economic period, or until one finds a more profitable investment.
Aerospace. to place (a satellite) in orbit.
to park a car, bicycle, etc.
Informal. to engage in kissing and caressing in a parked car.
Mungo 1771–1806?, Scottish explorer in Africa.
Robert E., 1864–1944, U.S. sociologist.
a large area of land preserved in a natural state for recreational use by the public See also national park
a piece of open land in a town with public amenities
an area, esp of mountain country, reserved for recreational purposes
a large area of land forming a private estate
English law an enclosed tract of land where wild beasts are protected, acquired by a subject by royal grant or prescription Compare forest
an area designed and landscaped to accommodate a group of related enterprises, businesses, research establishments, etc
science park
See amusement park
See car park
a playing field or sports stadium
informal a soccer pitch
a gear selector position on the automatic transmission of a motor vehicle that acts as a parking brake
the area in which the equipment and supplies of a military formation are assembled
a high valley surrounded by mountains in the western US
to stop and leave (a vehicle) temporarily
to manoeuvre (a motor vehicle) into a space for it to be left
try to park without hitting the kerb
stock exchange to register (securities) in the name of another or of nominees in order to conceal their real ownership
informal (tr) to leave or put somewhere
park yourself in front of the fire
(intr) military to arrange equipment in a park
(tr) to enclose in or as a park
Mungo (ˈmʌŋɡəʊ). 1771–1806, Scottish explorer. He led two expeditions (1795–97; 1805–06) to trace the course of the Niger in Africa. He was drowned during the second expedition
Nick, full name Nicholas Wulstan Park. born 1958, British animator and film director; his films include A Grand Day Out (1992), which introduced the characters Wallace and Gromit, and the feature-length Chicken Run (2000)
Chung Hee. (ˈtʃʊŋ ˈhiː). 1917–79, South Korean politician; president of the Republic of Korea (1963–79); assassinated
1225–75; Middle English (noun) < Old French parc enclosure < Late Latin *parricus < West Germanic *parruk ( see paddock 1)
A park is an outdoor green space that people use for recreation. People can also park a car, which is to pull into a parking space and stop. Just don’t park your car in a park. Unless you’re a squirrel. A city park usually has playgrounds, sports fields, walking paths, grass, and trees. There are also larger tracts of wild public land also known as parks, and these often have hiking trails, mountains, or bodies of water. Park is a verb too, meaning "drive into a parking space," so you could park your scooter at the park. Originally this verb referred exclusively to military vehicles, but by 1844 you could park any vehicle at all.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
According to the theme park, the water ride ends in a dramatic 50-foot drop.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 23, 2026
"He's certainly a character", says Louise Knight, a park administrator.
From BBC • Jun. 22, 2026
He is motivated in part by the fact that his two young kids don’t have a nearby park to play in.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 20, 2026
“This is a heartbreaking tragedy,” one advocacy group said in a statement, calling for permanent action to end carriage operations in the park.
From Salon • Jun. 20, 2026
Cats on the street came to wind figure eights around his ankles; dogs leaped up at him in the park.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
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.
