boulevard

noun

bou·​le·​vard ˈbu̇-lə-ˌvärd 

ˈbü-,

 also  ˈbə-

: a broad often landscaped thoroughfare

Synonyms

• arterial
• artery
• avenue
• carriageway [British]
• drag
• drive
• expressway
• freeway
• high road
• highway
• pass
• pike
• road
• roadway
• route
• row
• street
• thoroughfare
• thruway
• trace
• turnpike
• way

Examples of boulevard in a Sentence

the city is celebrated for its broad, tree-lined boulevards

Recent Examples on the Web

The main boulevards there and in Temple City are lined with strip malls featuring Asian supermarkets and Chinese regional cuisines. —Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 10 Dec. 2024

In October, Cleveland received a $60 million grant from Buttigieg's DOT for the first phase of that project, transforming the Shoreway into a pedestrian-friendly boulevard. —Sam Allard, Axios, 6 Dec. 2024

The irony in all this is that the boulevard was named after a socialist, Henry Gaylord Wilshire (1861–1927). —Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 22 Nov. 2024

The main square of Huaraz, Plaza de Armas, is a natural starting point for a wander, before checking out the Mercado Central and José Olaya street, a boulevard lined with historic homes. —Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 20 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

French, modification of Middle Dutch bolwerc bulwark

First Known Use

1763, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

boulevard

noun

bou·​le·​vard ˈbu̇l-ə-ˌvärd 

ˈbül-

: a wide avenue often having grass strips with trees along its center or sides

Etymology

from French boulevard "walkway lined with trees," derived from early Dutch bolwerc "bulwark, rampart"; so called because the earliest boulevards were at sites of razed fortifications — related to bulwark