plaza

[ plah-zuh, plaz-uh ]

noun

1. a public square or open space in a city or town.
2. shopping plaza.
3. an area along an expressway where public facilities, as service stations and restrooms, are available.

plaza

/ ˈplaθa; ˈplɑːzə /

noun

1. an open space or square, esp in Spain or a Spanish-speaking country
2. 1. a modern complex of shops, buildings, and parking areas
   2. ( capital when part of a name )

      Rockefeller Plaza

Word History and Origins

Origin of plaza¹

First recorded in 1675–85; from Spanish, from Latin platea “street,” from Greek plateîa “broad street”; place

Word History and Origins

Origin of plaza¹

C17: from Spanish, from Latin platēa courtyard, from Greek plateia; see place

Example Sentences

In his typically whiny book "The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free," Hegseth writes, "Our ‘elites’ are like the feckless drug-addled businessmen at Nakatomi Plaza, looking down on Bruce Willis’s John McClane in ‘Die Hard,’" adding, "But there will come a day when they realize they need John McClane."

From Salon

The court is located in the Plaza de los Tres Poderes, across the square from the presidential palace.

From BBC

Last year, the plaza was the scene of mass disorder, after supporters of ex-President Jair Bolsonaro ransacked the buildings in a bid to prevent his electoral defeat by President Lula.

From BBC

In another mailer, De León posed with firefighters in front of the iconic Virgin of Guadalupe shrine at the Ramona Garden housing complex in Boyle Heights and talked to voters at Mariachi Plaza.

From Los Angeles Times

The utility signed a long-term lease for nearly 200,000 square feet on eight floors in the Grand Avenue building on Bunker Hill often known as Two California Plaza, its new landlord said, and is expected to move by spring 2026 after building out the new offices.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• park
• square