marketplace

noun

mar·​ket·​place ˈmär-kət-ˌplās 

1

a

: an open square or place in a town where markets or public sales are held

b

: market

the marketplace is the interpreter of supply and demand

2

: the world of trade or economic activity : the everyday world

3

: a sphere in which intangible values compete for acceptance

the marketplace of ideas

Synonyms

• business
• commerce
• trade
• traffic

Examples of marketplace in a Sentence

Their products must compete in the marketplace.

The company has struggled to survive in a rapidly changing marketplace.

Recent Examples on the Web

Similar to the family space, some are speculating that the horror marketplace may be over-saturated, led by the box office hit Final Destination: Bloodlines. —Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 21 June 2025

The point of this exercise was to see where Montreal fits in the marketplace. —Arpon Basu, New York Times, 21 June 2025

By reducing the risks associated with independent work, more individuals may be encouraged to offer their skills in the marketplace, leading to a more dynamic and flexible labor force as well as a more innovative and competitive Florida economy. —David Santiago, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 June 2025

The book appeared on Mercari marketplace selling for $500, and Swifties swooped in. —Bryan West, USA Today, 19 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for marketplace

• aerospace
• anatase
• anyplace
• commonplace
• cyberspace
• database
• diabase
• diastase
• dnase
• elastase
• fireplace
• hyperspace

Kids Definition

marketplace

noun

mar·​ket·​place ˈmär-kət-ˌplās 

1

: an open square or place in a town where markets are held

2

: the world of trade

Legal Definition

marketplace

noun

mar·​ket·​place ˈmär-kət-ˌplās 

: the economic system through which different companies compete with each other to sell their products