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

Consider the open-air Lincoln Road, the pedestrian plaza in Miami Beach that recently broke ground on a multimillion restoration plan. —Michael Butler, Miami Herald, 11 Oct. 2025

Dolly Parton’s SongTeller Hotel has cleared the final hurdle in finalizing a land-swap deal that will see the hotel lease land at neighboring Commerce Street Park for a gift shop and outdoor event plaza. —Austin Hornbostel, Nashville Tennessean, 10 Oct. 2025

The plaza has been occupied for 734 days since Hamas' brutal attack that originally kidnapped 251 people. —James Powel, USA Today, 9 Oct. 2025

The project would be anchored by the soccer arena, but would also include hotels, retail, dining, a movie theater, housing, a cardroom, parking and a plaza. —Sacbee.com, 9 Oct. 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