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

• 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

Online marketplaces, coupled with the popularity of estate sales for social media content, is changing the vintage market. —Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 24 Oct. 2025

Newsom said earlier this month that people enrolled in Covered California, the state’s health insurance marketplace, could see their monthly health care bills nearly double next year as a result of the spending cuts law. —Sophie Austin, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2025

Such information is extremely valuable on dark web marketplaces. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2025

As a result of the partnership with Stadium Goods, Walmart customers can now buy iconic, rare sneakers, such as Air Jordans and Air Force 1s, from high-profile brands (like Nike) through Walmart’s online marketplace. —Amanda Greenwood, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 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