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

Rooms to Go, based in Seffner, Florida, would take over the bookstore’s 3.8-acre space at the Kendall Village West shopping plaza at 12405 SW 88th St., according to the site plan and a letter of intent dated Jan. 29. —Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 20 Mar. 2025

The big sheltered community plaza on the ground level is fully open and public, inviting everyone in. —Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025

The new Camino will offer plenty to read, a helpful and knowledgeable staff, and events like book signings and author readings, taking advantage of an outdoor area at the plaza. —Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Mar. 2025

At the Champ de Mars plaza in the heart of Haiti’s capital, law student Seme Rockens sits alone on a bench. —Linnea Fehrm, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 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