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

Set on a plaza shaped like a massive record player, the sparkling glass pyramid of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame stands out in Cleveland’s industrial skyline. —Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026

The Earthquakes are turning the food hall and its plaza into a free, all‑tournament celebration with every one of the 104 matches on big screens, plus fan zones, food vendors, mariachi and DJs. —David Hochman, Forbes.com, 5 June 2026

The city also began to approve a number of major projects to make the downtown more inviting, such as new plazas and a parking garage. —Martha Ross, Mercury News, 4 June 2026

Hundreds of people, and possibly thousands, were killed in 1989 as troops advanced through crowds that were trying to stop the military from reaching the protesters in Tiananmen Square, a vast plaza in the center of the Chinese capital. —ABC News, 4 June 2026

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