plaza

noun

pla·​za ˈplä-zə How to pronounce plaza (audio) ˈpla- How to pronounce plaza (audio)
1
a
: a public square in a city or town
b
: an open area usually located near urban buildings and often featuring walkways, trees and shrubs, places to sit, and sometimes shops
2
: a place on a thoroughfare (such as a turnpike) at which all traffic must temporarily stop (as to pay tolls)
3
: an area adjacent to an expressway which has service facilities (such as a restaurant, gas station, and restrooms)
4

Examples of plaza in a Sentence

They put his statue in the town's plaza.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
My mother’s last painting to earn recognition was displayed in a shopping plaza in Palo Alto in 1959. Megan Marshall, The New Yorker, 8 Feb. 2025 Tom’s Watch Bar Tom’s Watch Bar, 414 K St. in Sacramento’s Downtown Commons plaza, is throwing a Super Bowl party with a host of emcees, prizes, and giveaways, according to its website. Marcus D. Smith, Sacramento Bee, 7 Feb. 2025 Loading your audio article Two people face arson charges in connection with a structure fire at a plaza in Fairfield in December that caused $400,000 worth of damages. Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 5 Feb. 2025 The plaza in downtown Tryon acknowledges the life of Simone with a bronze sculpture by Zenos Frudakis. Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 3 Feb. 2025 See all Example Sentences for plaza 

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, from Latin platea broad street — more at place

First Known Use

1683, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of plaza was in 1683

Dictionary Entries Near plaza

Cite this Entry

“Plaza.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plaza. Accessed 18 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

plaza

noun
pla·​za ˈplaz-ə How to pronounce plaza (audio) ˈpläz- How to pronounce plaza (audio)
: a public square in a city or town

More from Merriam-Webster on plaza

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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