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

As adults, nearby plazas or parks may be spaces of respite and relaxation or places to meet up with friends and family after work or on weekends. —JSTOR Daily, 14 Nov. 2025

Countless members of the Start Today Community gathered for a two mile walk from the plaza to the Fleet Feet store at Columbus Circle, where they were greeted with refreshments and gifted a brand new pair of Altra sneakers. —Alex Ross, PEOPLE, 14 Nov. 2025

Items under review include additional housing, destination retail and entertainment, public plazas and a stronger street-and-trail network. —Adrienne Davis, jsonline.com, 10 Nov. 2025

Whitmer said the plaza being named after Nick Gilbert is a reminder that the center of Detroit's revival has always been love for family and community and hope for a brighter future. —Natalie Davies, Freep.com, 7 Nov. 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