parking lot

American  

noun

• parking lots
  plural

1. an area, usually divided into individual spaces, intended for parking motor vehicles.

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parking lot British  

noun

1. Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): car park.  an area or building reserved for parking cars

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• parking lots
  plural

Etymology

Origin of parking lot

An Americanism dating back to 1920–25

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

parking lot

I held my breath as the car worked its way out of the shopping center parking lot, briefly skirmishing with incoming traffic at a poorly marked four-way stop.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026

He can walk, but the trek from the broadcast booth to the parking lot is too much, at least for now.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026

When I arrived in the parking lot on an August Saturday afternoon, I immediately saw a pink Cadillac, a vestige of the Cupid’s Outlet.

From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026

Out in the parking lot, I hung out for some time before another car arrived, a blue Chevy Silverado with Illinois plates.

From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026

When I get back to the motel’s parking lot, there’s a car idling, right outside the front office.

From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy

Related Words

• garage
• park