playground

American  

[pley-ground] / ˈpleɪˌgraʊnd /

noun

1. an area used for outdoor play or recreation, especially by children, and often containing recreational equipment such as slides and swings.

2. Informal. any place, environment, or facility used for recreation or amusement, as a resort.

   The tropical island is an international playground for the rich.

3. an arena of operation or activity.

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playground British  

/ ˈpleɪˌɡraʊnd /

noun

1. an outdoor area for children's play, esp one having swings, slides, etc, or adjoining a school

2. a place or region particularly popular as a sports or holiday resort

3. a sphere of activity

   reading was his private playground

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Etymology

Origin of playground

First recorded in 1770–80; play + ground ¹

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

Most arresting, though, are the four playground designs, two of which were summarily vetoed by Moses and all of which radically departed from convention.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

In Trinity Lutheran, a Missouri religious group wanted to take advantage of a state grant for its playground flooring.

From Slate • Mar. 10, 2026

“We’re aware of the stories, but we used them as a playground in which to play instead of drawing from them directly.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 4, 2026

But others seemed to relish the predicament now facing Bailey and tens of thousands of fellow Britons residing in what many saw as a responsibility-free playground.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 3, 2026

One day during the first week of school, her teacher found me on the playground.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

Related Words

• park