playground

American  

[play-graund] / ˈpleɪˌgraʊnd /

noun

• playgrounds
  plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• playgrounds
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of playground

First recorded in 1770–80; play + ground ¹

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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

See Examples For:

playground playgrounds

"Imagine navigating life when it's hard for you to perceive the information in another person's face, from navigating a playground to navigating a job interview," McPartland says.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 28, 2026

There is also a playground and custom trampoline, while the upper lawn has previously been transformed into a temporary ice-skating rink.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 19, 2026

"The playground was just an asphalt strip between two rows of prefab buildings," he said, adding meetings with education authorities proved pointless.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

Accessible playground to 'allow all children to play'

From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026

But Max knew that there was only one house whose windows overlooked the school playground.

From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

They are typically nonprofit organizations that maintain amenities such as swimming pools, tennis courts, gyms, playgrounds, private roads, shared parking lots, sidewalks, trash removal and more.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026

Certainly, many who live in Berlin love its rich artistic and cultural life, green spaces, lakes and children's playgrounds, vibrant start-up scene and hedonistic, anything-goes nightlife.

From Barron's ● Sep. 15, 2026

The projects include replacing pavement with trees and landscaping, creating outdoor learning areas and improving playgrounds.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026

They’re like children’s playgrounds, with stacks and gangways and a giant anchor beneath.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

It is also significant that the “whites only” signs are gone and that children of all colors can drink from the same water fountains, swim in the same pools, and play on the same playgrounds.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

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Related Words

• park

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