playground
Americannoun
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an area used for outdoor play or recreation, especially by children, and often containing recreational equipment such as slides and swings.
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Informal. any place, environment, or facility used for recreation or amusement, as a resort.
The tropical island is an international playground for the rich.
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an arena of operation or activity.
noun
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an outdoor area for children's play, esp one having swings, slides, etc, or adjoining a school
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a place or region particularly popular as a sports or holiday resort
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a sphere of activity
reading was his private playground
Etymology
Origin of playground
Explanation
A playground is a place to frolic and play. Most kids know where the nearest playground is because that’s where the swings and slides are. Neighborhoods and schools usually have a playground. Weeeeee! A playground built especially for kids has equipment for them to play on, like climbing structures, swings, seesaws, and play houses. Many public parks have this kind of playground. When adults talk about their favorite playgrounds, they usually mean a place they go to do the sports or activities they love. A nearby mountain, for example, could be described as a playground for snow boarders.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A famous 1955 photo of her sitting in a Long Island playground reading James Joyce’s “Ulysses” — one of 50 known photos of her reading — is routinely scoffed at whenever it’s posted online.
From Los Angeles Times • May 25, 2026
From board games to first-person shooters, games have historically provided a structured, rules-based playground for digital algorithms to learn.
From MarketWatch • May 23, 2026
During opening statements, the prosecutor said the child at some point moved the firearm into an oversize jacket he was wearing on the playground and in the classroom.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
L.A. has long served as a luxury playground for the royal family.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
He’d known since kindergarten, when Josie had excitedly told him about a new piece of playground equipment they’d get to play with at recess.
From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
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.
