plaza

noun

pla·​za ˈplä-zə  ˈpla- 

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

: shopping center

Examples of plaza in a Sentence

They put his statue in the town's plaza.

Recent Examples on the Web

These are two transit plazas that are located on El Cajon (Boulevard) and on University Avenue. —Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Mar. 2025

Videos shared to social media showed helicopters hovering overhead and yellow police tape blocking off the intersection and portions of the mall’s first-floor plaza. —Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2025

The Hello Kitty Café Truck will stop at The Mall in Columbia Saturday at the plaza near Maggiano's Little Italy. —Kiersten Hacker, Baltimore Sun, 25 Mar. 2025

To create a public plaza the size of Bryant Park, the plan proposes leveling the current circular modern MSG building. —Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 13 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, from Latin platea broad street — more at place

First Known Use

1683, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing plaza

• toll plaza

Rhymes for plaza

• causa

Kids Definition

plaza

noun

pla·​za ˈplaz-ə  ˈpläz- 

: a public square in a city or town