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

Lula supporters gathered in a downtown Rio de Janeiro plaza cheered as the results came in, but also voiced apprehension about the runoff. — Catherine Osborn, NPR, 4 Oct. 2026

The museum has cited safety concerns as one reason visitors will have to pass security controls before entering the plaza, and an adjacent park has no such barriers. — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 2 Oct. 2026

This weekend — the first that the museum was open to the public — fences covered in plastic greenery blocked entry to the plaza from both sides. — Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026

The arena is intended to host more than 180 arena events and 40 plaza events per year. — Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 1 Oct. 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