a particular portion of space, whether of definite or indefinite extent.
space in general.
time and place.
the specific portion of space normally occupied by anything.
Every item on the shelf had its place.
any part or spot in a body or surface.
a decayed place in a tree.
a particular passage in a book or writing.
to find the place where one left off reading.
a space or seat for a person, as in a theater, train, etc..
Please save a place for me.
position, situation, or circumstances.
I would complain if I were in your place.
a proper or appropriate location or position.
A restaurant is not the place for an argument.
a job, post, or office.
persons in high places.
a function or duty.
It is not your place to offer criticism.
proper sequence or relationship, as of ideas, details, etc..
My thoughts began to fall into place.
high position or rank.
aristocrats of power and place.
a region or area.
to travel to distant places.
an open space, or square, as in a city or town.
a short street, a court, etc.
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.
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.
a part of a building.
The kitchen is the sunniest place in the house.
a residence, dwelling, or house.
Please come and have dinner at my place.
lieu; substitution (usually followed byof ).
Use yogurt in place of sour cream.
a step or point in order of proceeding.
in the first place.
a fitting or promising opportunity.
There's a place in this town for a man of his talents.
a reasonable ground or occasion.
This is no place for such an outburst.
a mental or emotional state.
I’m not in a good place right now.
Arithmetic.
the position of a figure in a series, as in decimal notation.
Usually places. the figures of the series.
Drama. one of the three unities.
Sports.
a position among the leading competitors, usually the first, second, or third at the finish line.
the position of the competitor who comes in second in a horse race, harness race, etc.
Theater. places, a call summoning performers for the beginning of a performance or an act.
room or space for entry or passage.
to make place for the crowds.
to put in the proper position or order; arrange; dispose.
Place the silverware on the table for dinner.
to put or set in a particular place, position, situation, or relation.
to put in a suitable place for some purpose.
to place an advertisement in the newspaper.
to put into particular or proper hands.
to place some incriminating evidence with the district attorney.
to give (an order or the like) to a supplier.
She placed the order for the pizza an hour ago.
to appoint (a person) to a post or office.
The president placed him in the Department of Agriculture.
to find a place, situation, etc., for (a person).
The agency had no trouble placing him with a good firm.
to determine or indicate the place or value of.
to place health among the greatest gifts in life.
to assign a certain position or rank to.
The army placed him in the infantry.
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.
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.
to employ (the voice) for singing or speaking with consciousness of the bodily point of emphasis of resonance of each tone or register.
Sports.
to finish among the first three competitors in a race.
to finish second in a horse race, harness race, etc.
to earn a specified standing with relation to others, as in an examination, competition, etc..
He placed fifth in a graduation class of 90.
go places, to succeed or advance in one's career.
He'll never go places if he stays in his hometown.
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.
give place to,
to give precedence or priority to.
Any local ordinance must give place to federal law.
to be succeeded or replaced by.
Travel by trains has given place to travel by airplanes.
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.
take place, to happen; occur.
The commencement exercises will take place outdoors unless it rains.
in place,
in the correct or usual position or order.
Dinner is ready and everything is in place.
in the same spot, without advancing or retreating.
Stand by your desk and jog in place for a few minutes of exercise.
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.
out of place,
not in the correct or usual position or order.
The library books are all out of place.
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.
a particular point or part of space or of a surface, esp that occupied by a person or thing
a geographical point, such as a town, city, etc
a position or rank in a sequence or order
an open square lined with houses of a similar type in a city or town
( capital when part of a street name )
Grosvenor Place
space or room
a house or living quarters
a country house with grounds
any building or area set aside for a specific purpose
a passage in a book, play, film, etc
to lose one's place
proper or appropriate position or time
he still thinks a woman's place is in the home
right or original position
put it back in its place
suitable, appropriate, or customary surroundings (esp in the phrases out of place, in place )
right, prerogative, or duty
it is your place to give a speech
appointment, position, or job
a place at college
position, condition, or state
if I were in your place
a space or seat, as at a dining table
( as modifier )
place mat
maths the relative position of a digit in a number See also decimal place
any of the best times in a race
horse racing
the first, second, or third position at the finish
the first or usually the second position at the finish
( as modifier )
a place bet
theatre one of the three unities See unity
archaic an important position, rank, or role
in disorder or disarray
parliamentary procedure
(in the House of Commons) the House of Lords
(in the House of Lords) the House of Commons
to make room for or be superseded by someone
informal
to travel
to become successful
instead of; in lieu of
go in place of my sister
in exchange for
he gave her it in place of her ring
to be aware of one's inferior position
the highest or foremost position
to humble someone who is arrogant, conceited, forward, etc
to take up one's usual or specified position
to be a substitute for
to happen or occur
facetious
(at Oxford University) Cambridge University
(at Cambridge University) Oxford University
to put or set in a particular or appropriate place
to find or indicate the place of
to identify or classify by linking with an appropriate context
to place a face
to regard or view as being
to place prosperity above sincerity
to make (an order, a bet, etc)
to find a home or job for (someone)
to appoint to an office or position
(often foll by with) to put under the care (of)
to direct or aim carefully
(passive) to cause (a racehorse, greyhound, athlete, etc) to arrive in first, second, third, or sometimes fourth place
(intr) (of a racehorse, greyhound, etc) to finish among the first three in a contest, esp in second position
to invest (funds)
to sing (a note) with accuracy of pitch
to insert (an advertisement) in a newspaper, journal, etc
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. )
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.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
For example, Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook appeared with Trump at the White House in August to announce a $600-billion U.S. spending plan to take place over four years.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
He was just in a bad place at a bad time.
From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2026
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has also paid tribute, writing on X that he "starred in so many beloved Australian stories and he earned a special place in Australian hearts".
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
The upshot: Galápagos animals walk around like they own the place, because they kind of do.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
“La, it doesn’t matter where it’s taking place, you need to let it happen.”
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
Find insight on China’s property sales growth, St. James’s Place, Sovereign Wealth and more in the latest Market Talks covering financial services.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
Jude McCrory, 28, of Gartan Square, was also found not guilty, as was Patrick Anthony Gallagher, 34, of John Field Place.
From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026
Charvet has been making bespoke shirts and suits from its home on Place Vendome in Paris since 1838, with past clients including Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy and Chanel founder Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel.
From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026
Saturday, near West 8th Place and Garland Avenue, for a car crash involving a pedestrian.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 27, 2026
The moment she arrived at Ashton Place, she began plotting her means of escape.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
My first encounter with a “Grand Theft Auto” game was way back in 1999 with “GTA 2” at, of all places, my pastor’s house.
From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2026
“Capital intensity,” or the cost of the AI buildout, has been higher than expected and places “existing profit assumptions” into question, he said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 12, 2026
In far too many places in the U.S., coaching is done by volunteers or parents.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026
In other words, they’re exactly the kind of places where a typical Spooner would never dream of working.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026
Only three places at the table, I thought, as I set out the plates.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
In his 1953 book, “The Conservative Mind,” Russell Kirk placed Disraeli in an Anglo-American tradition alongside Burke and T.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
It is on display until October and exhibition curator, Emma Roodhouse, said she had a "mini cry" when the painting was finally placed on the wall.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
The department did not say how long the officer has worked for ICE or whether any of the officers involved have been placed on leave.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
The company warned that the second half of the year would also be affected, though chief executive Kenton Jarvis said the airline was "well placed" to ride out the turbulence.
From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026
He’d placed the monocle on the tufted fur beneath his socket, then peered into the pond’s reflection.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
Detectives turned to a daring undercover operation - bugging Michael Stewart's home and car, placing listening devices on his brother's car, and sending two covert officers into Michael's life.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
"The placing of flags, effigies or other items on bonfires is not part of that tradition and should not take place," the party added.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
But there is also logic to the modest valuation investors have been placing on the shares.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
Additionally, Microsoft is placing four of its gaming studios under new management.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 6, 2026
“I almost forgot to give you this,” she says, placing it on the table in front of me.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
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.
