Standard Lemma guide

playground

noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /ˈpleɪɡɹaʊnd/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: P L EY1 G R AW2 N D Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: P L EY1 G R AW2 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A large open space for children to play in, usually having dedicated play equipment (such as swings and slides).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: outdoors

Examples

  • The kids have to go to the playground during recess, no matter the weather.
  • The local council have set up a new playground, equipped with slides, swings, and a climbing wall.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Any physical or metaphysical space in which a person or organization has free rein to do as they please.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

Examples

  • The exclusive tropical island was a millionaire's playground.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A sandbox for testing calls to an application programming interface.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, programming, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

yard consisting of an outdoor area for children's play

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: yard, grounds, curtilage

5

noun

Meaning 5

an area where many people go for recreation

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: resort area, vacation spot

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: area, country

Narrower terms: watering place, watering hole, spa, borscht circuit, borsht circuit, borscht belt, borsht belt, Waikiki

History

Etymology

From play + ground. Compare Middle English playstede (“playground”) from Old English pleġstede.

Across languages

Translations

194 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: shesh lojërash — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Arabic: مَلْعَب أَطْفَال (malʕab ʔaṭfāl) — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Armenian: խաղահրապարակ (xaġahraparak) — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Azerbaijani: uşaq meydançası — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Basque: jolas parkea — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Basque: jolastoki — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Belarusian: дзіця́чая пляцо́ўка (dzicjáčaja pljacówka) — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Belarusian: дзетпляцо́ўка (dzjetpljacówka) — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Bulgarian: де́тска площа́дка (détska ploštádka) — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Bulgarian: игри́ще (igríšte) — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Burmese: ကစားကွင်း (ka.ca:kwang:) — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Chinese Mandarin: 操場 /操场 (cāochǎng) — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Chinese Mandarin: 遊樂園 /游乐园 (yóulèyuán) — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Chinese Mandarin: 遊樂場 /游乐场 (yóulèchǎng) — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Czech: hřiště — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Czech: dětské hřiště — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Danish: legeplads — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Danish: åbent område — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Dutch: speelplein — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Dutch: speelterrein — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Dutch: speeltuin — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Esperanto: ludejo — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Estonian: mänguväljak — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Finnish: leikkikenttä — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Finnish: leikkipuisto — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • French: terrain de jeu — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • French: aire de jeux — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • French: plaine de jeux — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Georgian: სათამაშო მოედანი (satamašo moedani) — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • German: Spielwiese — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • German: Spielplatz — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • German: Kinderspielplatz — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Greek: παιχνιδότοπος (paichnidótopos) — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Greek: παιδική χαρά (paidikí chará) — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Greek: παιδότοπος (paidótopos) — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Hebrew: גן שעשועים (gan sha'ashuím) — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Hebrew: מגרש משחקים (migrásh misẖaqím) — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Hindi: खेल का मैदान (khel kā maidān) — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Hindi: क्रीड़ास्थल (krīṛāsthal) — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Hungarian: játszótér — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Icelandic: leikvöllur — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Icelandic: róló — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Icelandic: róluvöllur — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Italian: parco giochi — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Italian: parco gioco — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Italian: parco — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Japanese: 遊び場 (asobiba) — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Kazakh: балалар алаңы (balalar alañy) — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Kazakh: ойын алаңы (oiyn alañy) — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Khmer: វិហារដ្ឋាន (vihaaratthaan) — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Korean: 놀이터 (noriteo) — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Kyrgyz: балдар аянтчасы (baldar ayantcası) — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Kyrgyz: оюн аянтчасы (oyun ayantcası) — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Lao: ສະຫນາມເດັກຫຼິ້ນ (sa nām dek lin) — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Latvian: rotaļlaukums — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Lithuanian: žaidimų aikštelė — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Macedonian: игралиште (igralište) — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Malay: taman permainan — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Māori: papa tākaro — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Norwegian Bokmål: lekeplass — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Norwegian Bokmål: leikeplass — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: leikeplass — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Iranian Persian: زَمینِ بازی (zamin-e bâzi) — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Iranian Persian: تَفْریحْگاه (tafrihgâh) — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Iranian Persian: مُحَوَّطِهٔ بازی کودَکان (mohavvate-ye bâzi kudakân) — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Plautdietsch: Spälplauz — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Polish: plac zabaw — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Portuguese: parque infantil — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Portuguese: parquinho — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Romanian: teren de joc — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Romanian: loc de joacă — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Russian: де́тская площа́дка (détskaja ploščádka) — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Russian: детплоща́дка (detploščádka) — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Russian: игровая площадка (igrovaja ploščadka) — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Serbo-Croatian: ѝгралӣште — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Serbo-Croatian: ìgralīšte — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Sicilian: parcu-joca — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Sicilian: chiazza — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Slovak: ihrisko — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Slovak: detské ihrisko — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Slovene: igrišče — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Lower Sorbian: grajkanišćo — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Upper Sorbian: hrajkanišćo — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Spanish: parque infantil — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Spanish: espacio de recreación — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Spanish: zona de juegos — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Spanish: zona lúdica — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Swahili: kiwanja — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Swedish: lekplats — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Swedish: lekpark — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Tagalog: palaruan — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Tajik: майдончаи бачагон (maydonča-yi bačagon) — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Tajik: майдончаи бозӣ (maydonča-yi bozi) — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Thai: สนามเด็กเล่น (sà-nǎam-dèk-lên) — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Turkish: oyun alanı — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Turkish: oyun sahası — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Turkmen: oýun meýdançasy — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Ukrainian: дитя́чий майда́нчик (dytjáčyj majdánčyk) — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Ukrainian: дитмайда́нчик (dytmajdánčyk) — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Urdu: بازی گاہ (bāzī gāh) — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Urdu: تَفْرِیح گاہ (tafrīh gāh) — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Urdu: کھیل کا مَیدان (khel kā maidān) — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Urdu: بازیچہ (bāzīca) — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Urdu: بازیچہ اطفال (bāzīca-e-atfāl) — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Urdu: بازیچہ طفلاں (bāzīca-e-tiflā̃) — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Uzbek: bolalar maydonchasi — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Uzbek: oʻyin maydonchasi — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Vietnamese: sân chơi — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Welsh: buarth chwarae — large open space to play on, usually for children
  • Basque: jolastoki — open-air space on a school campus where the children can play
  • Bulgarian: двор (dvor) — open-air space on a school campus where the children can play
  • Catalan: pati d'escola — open-air space on a school campus where the children can play
  • Catalan: pati escolar — open-air space on a school campus where the children can play
  • Catalan: pati d'esbarjo — open-air space on a school campus where the children can play
  • Catalan: pati — open-air space on a school campus where the children can play
  • Chinese Mandarin: 操場 /操场 (cāochǎng) — open-air space on a school campus where the children can play
  • Chinese Mandarin: 游樂園 /游乐园 (yóulèyuán) — open-air space on a school campus where the children can play
  • Chinese Mandarin: 遊樂場 /游乐场 (yóulèchǎng) — open-air space on a school campus where the children can play
  • Dutch: speelplein — open-air space on a school campus where the children can play
  • Dutch: speelplaats — open-air space on a school campus where the children can play
  • Finnish: leikkipaikka — open-air space on a school campus where the children can play
  • Finnish: leikkikenttä — open-air space on a school campus where the children can play
  • Finnish: leikkipuisto — open-air space on a school campus where the children can play
  • French: cour de récréation — open-air space on a school campus where the children can play
  • French: cour de récré — open-air space on a school campus where the children can play
  • German: Schulhof — open-air space on a school campus where the children can play
  • Greek: αυλή (avlí) — open-air space on a school campus where the children can play
  • Icelandic: leikvöllur — open-air space on a school campus where the children can play
  • Māori: papa tākaro — open-air space on a school campus where the children can play
  • Norwegian Bokmål: skolegård — open-air space on a school campus where the children can play
  • Plautdietsch: Spälplauz — open-air space on a school campus where the children can play
  • Portuguese: playground — open-air space on a school campus where the children can play
  • Portuguese: recreio — open-air space on a school campus where the children can play
  • Russian: шко́льный двор (škólʹnyj dvor) — open-air space on a school campus where the children can play
  • Spanish: patio de recreo — open-air space on a school campus where the children can play
  • Spanish: patio de colegio — open-air space on a school campus where the children can play
  • Spanish: patio escolar — open-air space on a school campus where the children can play
  • Spanish: patio — open-air space on a school campus where the children can play
  • Spanish: patio recreativo — open-air space on a school campus where the children can play
  • Swedish: skolgård — open-air space on a school campus where the children can play
  • Tagalog: palaruan — open-air space on a school campus where the children can play
  • Thai: สนามเด็กเล่น (sà-nǎam-dèk-lên) — open-air space on a school campus where the children can play
  • Turkish: okul bahçesi — open-air space on a school campus where the children can play
  • Basque: haur parkea — small area for children
  • Bulgarian: детска площадка (detska ploštadka) — small area for children
  • Catalan: parc infantil — small area for children
  • Catalan: àrea de joc infantil — small area for children
  • Chinese Mandarin: 操場 /操场 (cāochǎng) — small area for children
  • Chinese Mandarin: 游樂園 /游乐园 (yóulèyuán) — small area for children
  • Chinese Mandarin: 遊樂場 /游乐场 (yóulèchǎng) — small area for children
  • Czech: hřiště — small area for children
  • Danish: legeplads — small area for children
  • Danish: sandkasse — small area for children
  • Dutch: speeltuin — small area for children
  • Dutch: speelterrein — small area for children
  • Finnish: leikkipaikka — small area for children
  • German: Spielplatz — small area for children
  • Greek: παιδότοπος (paidótopos) — small area for children
  • Greek: παιδική χαρά (paidikí chará) — small area for children
  • Macedonian: игралиште (igralište) — small area for children
  • Norwegian Bokmål: lekeplass — small area for children
  • Portuguese: parque infantil — small area for children
  • Portuguese: playground — small area for children
  • Portuguese: parquinho — small area for children
  • Russian: де́тская площа́дка (détskaja ploščádka) — small area for children
  • Serbo-Croatian: ѝгралӣште — small area for children
  • Serbo-Croatian: ìgralīšte — small area for children
  • Spanish: juegos infantiles — small area for children
  • Spanish: parque infantil — small area for children
  • Spanish: área de juego infantil — small area for children
  • Spanish: área lúdico — small area for children
  • Swedish: lekplats — small area for children
  • Swedish: lekpark — small area for children
  • Thai: สนามเด็กเล่น (sà-nǎam-dèk-lên) — small area for children
  • Turkish: oyun alanı — small area for children
  • Turkish: oyun sahası — small area for children
  • Bulgarian: игри́ще (igríšte) — space to do what one pleases
  • Chinese Mandarin: 游樂園 /游乐园 (yóulèyuán) — space to do what one pleases
  • Chinese Mandarin: 遊樂場 /游乐场 (yóulèchǎng) — space to do what one pleases
  • Danish: tumleplads — space to do what one pleases
  • Danish: sandkasse — space to do what one pleases
  • Dutch: speelterrein — space to do what one pleases
  • Finnish: leikkikenttä — space to do what one pleases
  • Finnish: temmellyskenttä — space to do what one pleases
  • German: Spielwiese — space to do what one pleases
  • Greek: παιδική χαρά (paidikí chará) — space to do what one pleases
  • Macedonian: игралиште (igralište) — space to do what one pleases
  • Portuguese: playground — space to do what one pleases
  • Russian: игрова́я площа́дка (igrovája ploščádka) — space to do what one pleases
  • Serbo-Croatian: ѝгралӣште — space to do what one pleases
  • Serbo-Croatian: ìgralīšte — space to do what one pleases
  • Spanish: campo libre — space to do what one pleases
  • Swedish: lekplats — space to do what one pleases
  • Turkish: deneme tahtası — space to do what one pleases
Real reading context

playground in complete knowledge articles