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• place
  place

  noun

  a particular portion of space, whether of definite or indefinite extent.
• Place
  Place

  noun

  Francis. 1771–1854, British radical, who campaigned for the repeal (1824) of the Combination Acts, which forbade the forming of trade unions, and for parliamentary reform

place

American  

[pleys] / pleɪs /

noun

• places
  plural

1. a particular portion of space, whether of definite or indefinite extent.

   Synonyms:

   site, locality, locale, location

2. space in general.

   time and place.

3. the specific portion of space normally occupied by anything.

   Every item on the shelf had its place.

4. any part or spot in a body or surface.

   a decayed place in a tree.

5. a particular passage in a book or writing.

   to find the place where one left off reading.

6. a space or seat for a person, as in a theater, train, etc..

   Please save a place for me.

7. position, situation, or circumstances.

   I would complain if I were in your place.

8. a proper or appropriate location or position.

   A restaurant is not the place for an argument.

9. a job, post, or office.

   persons in high places.

   Synonyms:

   employment, rank

10. a function or duty.

    It is not your place to offer criticism.

    Synonyms:

    responsibility, charge

11. proper sequence or relationship, as of ideas, details, etc..

    My thoughts began to fall into place.

12. high position or rank.

    aristocrats of power and place.

13. a region or area.

    to travel to distant places.

    Synonyms:

    sector, section

14. an open space, or square, as in a city or town.

15. a short street, a court, etc.

16. a portion of space used for habitation, as a city, town, or village.

    After decades of neglect and decay, those places are making a comeback thanks to urban renewal.

17. a building, space, location, etc., set apart or used for a specific purpose: You are encouraged to dress modestly in places of worship.

    A nightclub is a place of entertainment.

    You are encouraged to dress modestly in places of worship.

18. a part of a building.

    The kitchen is the sunniest place in the house.

19. a residence, dwelling, or house.

    Please come and have dinner at my place.

20. lieu; substitution (usually followed byof ).

    Use yogurt in place of sour cream.

21. a step or point in order of proceeding.

    in the first place.

22. a fitting or promising opportunity.

    There's a place in this town for a man of his talents.

23. a reasonable ground or occasion.

    This is no place for such an outburst.

24. a mental or emotional state.

    I’m not in a good place right now.

25. Arithmetic.

    1. the position of a figure in a series, as in decimal notation.

    2. Usually places. the figures of the series.

26. Drama. one of the three unities.

27. Sports.

    1. a position among the leading competitors, usually the first, second, or third at the finish line.

    2. the position of the competitor who comes in second in a horse race, harness race, etc.

28. Theater. places, a call summoning performers for the beginning of a performance or an act.

29. room or space for entry or passage.

    to make place for the crowds.

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verb (used with object)

• places,
  present (3rd person singular)
• placed,
  past participle,  past
• placing
  present participle

1. to put in the proper position or order; arrange; dispose.

   Place the silverware on the table for dinner.

   Synonyms:

   station, situate

2. to put or set in a particular place, position, situation, or relation.

3. to put in a suitable place for some purpose.

   to place an advertisement in the newspaper.

   Synonyms:

   seat, lay, deposit, set, locate

4. to put into particular or proper hands.

   to place some incriminating evidence with the district attorney.

5. to give (an order or the like) to a supplier.

   She placed the order for the pizza an hour ago.

6. to appoint (a person) to a post or office.

   The president placed him in the Department of Agriculture.

   Synonyms:

   hire

7. to find a place, situation, etc., for (a person).

   The agency had no trouble placing him with a good firm.

8. to determine or indicate the place or value of.

   to place health among the greatest gifts in life.

9. to assign a certain position or rank to.

   The army placed him in the infantry.

10. to succeed in attaining a position for in an athletic or other contest.

    to place players on the all-American team; to place students in the finals of the interscholastic chess tournament.

11. to identify by connecting with the proper place, circumstances, etc..

    to be unable to place a person; to place a face; to place an accent.

12. to employ (the voice) for singing or speaking with consciousness of the bodily point of emphasis of resonance of each tone or register.

verb (used without object)

• places,
  present (3rd person singular)
• placed,
  past participle,  past
• placing
  present participle

1. Sports.

   1. to finish among the first three competitors in a race.

   2. to finish second in a horse race, harness race, etc.

2. to earn a specified standing with relation to others, as in an examination, competition, etc..

   He placed fifth in a graduation class of 90.

idioms

1. go places, to succeed or advance in one's career.

   He'll never go places if he stays in his hometown.

2. put someone in his / her place, to lower someone's self-esteem; humble, especially an arrogant person.

   She put me in my place by reminding me who was boss.

3. give place to,

   1. to give precedence or priority to.

      Any local ordinance must give place to federal law.

   2. to be succeeded or replaced by.

      Travel by trains has given place to travel by airplanes.

4. know / keep one's place, to recognize one's position or rank, especially if inferior, and behave or act accordingly.

   They treated their servants well but expected them always to know their place.

5. take place, to happen; occur.

   The commencement exercises will take place outdoors unless it rains.

6. in place,

   1. in the correct or usual position or order.

      Dinner is ready and everything is in place.

   2. in the same spot, without advancing or retreating.

      Stand by your desk and jog in place for a few minutes of exercise.

   3. in the place or building that one already occupies: Ninety percent of older adults would prefer to age in place, in their own homes and communities.

      Residents were asked to shelter in place during the storm—evacuation was deemed too risky.

      Ninety percent of older adults would prefer to age in place, in their own homes and communities.

7. out of place,

   1. not in the correct or usual position or order.

      The library books are all out of place.

   2. unsuitable to the circumstances or surroundings; inappropriate.

      He had always felt out of place in an academic environment. A green suit was out of place at the funeral.

place ¹ British  

/ pleɪs /

noun

1. a particular point or part of space or of a surface, esp that occupied by a person or thing

2. a geographical point, such as a town, city, etc

3. a position or rank in a sequence or order

4. 1. an open square lined with houses of a similar type in a city or town

   2. ( capital when part of a street name )

      Grosvenor Place

5. space or room

6. a house or living quarters

7. a country house with grounds

8. any building or area set aside for a specific purpose

9. a passage in a book, play, film, etc

   to lose one's place

10. proper or appropriate position or time

    he still thinks a woman's place is in the home

11. right or original position

    put it back in its place

12. suitable, appropriate, or customary surroundings (esp in the phrases out of place, in place )

13. right, prerogative, or duty

    it is your place to give a speech

14. appointment, position, or job

    a place at college

15. position, condition, or state

    if I were in your place

16. 1. a space or seat, as at a dining table

    2. ( as modifier )

       place mat

17. maths the relative position of a digit in a number See also decimal place

18. any of the best times in a race

19. horse racing

    1. the first, second, or third position at the finish

    2. the first or usually the second position at the finish

    3. ( as modifier )

       a place bet

20. theatre one of the three unities See unity

21. archaic an important position, rank, or role

22. in disorder or disarray

23. parliamentary procedure

    1. (in the House of Commons) the House of Lords

    2. (in the House of Lords) the House of Commons

24. to make room for or be superseded by someone

25. informal

    1. to travel

    2. to become successful

26. 1. instead of; in lieu of

       go in place of my sister

    2. in exchange for

       he gave her it in place of her ring

27. to be aware of one's inferior position

28. the highest or foremost position

29. to humble someone who is arrogant, conceited, forward, etc

30. to take up one's usual or specified position

31. to be a substitute for

32. to happen or occur

33. facetious

    1. (at Oxford University) Cambridge University

    2. (at Cambridge University) Oxford University

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verb

1. to put or set in a particular or appropriate place

2. to find or indicate the place of

3. to identify or classify by linking with an appropriate context

   to place a face

4. to regard or view as being

   to place prosperity above sincerity

5. to make (an order, a bet, etc)

6. to find a home or job for (someone)

7. to appoint to an office or position

8. (often foll by with) to put under the care (of)

9. to direct or aim carefully

10. (passive) to cause (a racehorse, greyhound, athlete, etc) to arrive in first, second, third, or sometimes fourth place

11. (intr) (of a racehorse, greyhound, etc) to finish among the first three in a contest, esp in second position

12. to invest (funds)

13. to sing (a note) with accuracy of pitch

14. to insert (an advertisement) in a newspaper, journal, etc

Place ² British  

/ pleɪs /

noun

1. Francis. 1771–1854, British radical, who campaigned for the repeal (1824) of the Combination Acts, which forbade the forming of trade unions, and for parliamentary reform

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place More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing place

• all over the place
• between a rock and a hard place
• fall in place
• friend in court (high places)
• go places
• have one's heart in the right place
• in place
• in someone's shoes (place)
• in the first place
• instead (in place) of
• jumping-off place
• know one's place
• out of place
• pride of place
• put someone in his or her place
• run in place
• take place
• take someone's place

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Synonym Usage

See position. See put.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• preplace
  verb (used with object)
• placeable
  adjective
• placeless
  adjective
• unplaced
  adjective
• well-placed
  adjective
• placelessly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• places
  plural

Participles

• placing
  present
• placed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• place
  simple
• places
  simple
• have placed
  perfect
• has placed
  perfect
• am placing
  progressive
• are placing
  progressive
• is placing
  progressive
• have been placing
  perfect progressive
• has been placing
  perfect progressive

Past

• placed
  simple
• had placed
  perfect
• was placing
  progressive
• were placing
  progressive
• had been placing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will place
  simple
• will have placed
  perfect
• will be placing
  progressive
• will have been placing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of place

First recorded before 950; Middle English noun plaas, plas, a conflation of Old English plæce, plætse and Middle French place, plasse “space, available space,” from Medieval Latin placea, from Vulgar Latin plattea, from Latin platea, platēa “wide street, courtyard, area,” from Greek plateîa (hodós) “wide (street),” noun use of feminine of platýs “wide, broad, level”; verb derivative of the noun; see flat ¹, plate ¹ ( def. )

Explanation

A place is a position, an area, a spot, or a space. Texas is a place in the United States, and your seat at dinner is your place at the table. In the old saying "A woman's place is in the home," place means both an "appropriate location" as well as "proper social situation." Thankfully, Bella Abzug updated that notion by saying "A woman's place is in the House... the House of Representatives." Place can also be a verb: you can place, or set down, books on a table. If you can't place the person to whom you've just been introduced, you are having trouble identifying that person.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

place Place places placed placing

The recent price spikes, however, make it harder to manage fuel costs, even with the surcharges in place, as trucking companies might base any extra fees on prices that are no longer current.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 28, 2026

That decomposition rate served as a simple indicator of how much biological activity was taking place underground.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 28, 2026

“This is no place for a pregnant woman,” Kelly said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026

The Linda Myles Debate will recognise her long-standing belief that Edinburgh is the place for rigorous debate around the screen industries.

From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026

If that place is damaged, do you stop acting human?

From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman

In April, a statue of a man carrying a flag appeared in Waterloo Place near Trafalgar Square.

From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026

Portia Place sounded like a German car dealership.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026

Prosecutors say Hernandez was last seen alive at the 21-year-old’s Doheny Place residence after she threatened to reveal their relationship.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

"A relatively small number of companies have driven a disproportionate share of returns in recent years," wrote Angelina Lai at St. James's Place Asia and Middle East.

From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026

“Birds of Ashton Place That Live Outdoors,” Alexander declared, rummaging about for his shoes.

From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood

"It's very important to have places for young people to go to listen to music and discover new artists," says Hornsey, who is heading back to Reading Festival after attending last year.

From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026

As the global population grows and climate change places increasing pressure on food systems, researchers and policymakers are looking more closely at alternative sources of nutrition.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 27, 2026

Scientists broadly agree that the globalized weather impacts of El Nino stack on top of climate change -- exacerbating rainfall in some places, drought and heat in others.

From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026

The new push comes against the backdrop of drones and other technologies used in the Russia-Ukraine war and the conflicts in the Middle East, Sudan and other places.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026

He looks at me, his eyes filled with hurt, and I can’t help feeling the blanket of blame he places on me.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

The broadcaster was initially placed on non-invasive ventilation before being moved to intensive care, but she developed bronchopneumonia.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026

Mice placed on a diet with 40% fewer calories, for instance, become more vulnerable to infections, reproduce less successfully, and show impaired growth.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 26, 2026

After authorities safely recovered Hilton, he was placed in a 72-hour hold under Florida’s Baker Act, which allows for detention to assess mental health.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

Trump's Education Secretary Linda McMahon concurred, saying Dolly Parton "placed millions of books into the hands of young children and helped spark a lifelong love of reading."

From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026

As each prisoner reached this point, she gave her name for the thousandth time that day and placed on the desk whatever she was wearing of value.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

The new work suggests that changing the material's dimensions and placing its atomic structure under strain can produce very different behavior.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 27, 2026

He said those investors are placing historically high bets, based on recent history, that bond yields will keep rising.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026

Alibaba said it plans to use 100% of the net proceeds from the placing to invest in its full-stack AI capabilities, including infrastructure.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026

He suggested a reduction in EU quota access which he said was placing additional pressure on the UK's steel operations.

From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026

Once the Human finished placing the order, I went to the front portal.

From "Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat" by Johnny Marciano and Emily Chenoweth

Related Words

• apartment
• area
• berth
• city
• community
• corner
• country
• district
• field
• hole
• home
• house
• neighborhood
• part
• point
• position
• region
• residence
• room
• seat