parking lot

American  

noun

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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Etymology

Origin of parking lot

An Americanism dating back to 1920–25

Example Sentences

In that bitter January darkness of a Manchester elementary school parking lot, several dozen voters clustered in line beside me to get into the gym just as the polls opened.

From Slate • May 26, 2026

Awad and another man -- named as Mansour Kaziha -- drew the gunmen back into the parking lot.

From Barron's • May 19, 2026

By 2 p.m., a flashing sign at the entrance to Curry Village advised that the parking lot was full and directed people to try their luck elsewhere.

From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026

At a rally in a parking lot outside his campaign headquarters in Florence, Kentucky, on Saturday, Congressman Thomas Massie said that the Republican politicians who joined him had made a brave choice.

From BBC • May 18, 2026

I take a few strides farther down the road and find an archway in the trees where the gravel road turns into a large parking lot.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Related Words

• garage
• park