Phrase guide

playing field

noun · 4 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

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A field on which a game, especially a ball game, is played.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: playfield

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Any place or context within which competitive activity takes place, such as market competition between companies.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

a piece of land prepared for playing a game

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the home crowd cheered when Princeton took the field

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: athletic field, playing area, field

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: tract, piece of land, piece of ground, parcel of land, parcel

Narrower terms: arena, scene of action, ball field, baseball field, diamond, court, football field, gridiron, palestra, palaestra, bowling green

4

noun

Meaning 4

the circumstances under which competition occurs

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the government's objective is to insure a genuinely level playing field for American industry and commerce in Europe

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: circumstance

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

16 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: դաշտ (dašt) — field on which a game is played
  • Armenian: խաղադաշտ (xaġadašt) — field on which a game is played
  • Bulgarian: игрище (igrište) — field on which a game is played
  • Bulgarian: поле (pole) — field on which a game is played
  • Catalan: camp de joc — field on which a game is played
  • Czech: hřiště — field on which a game is played
  • Finnish: pelikenttä — field on which a game is played
  • Galician: campo de xogo — field on which a game is played
  • Icelandic: leikvöllur — field on which a game is played
  • Māori: papa tākaro — field on which a game is played
  • Polish: boisko — field on which a game is played
  • Spanish: campo de deportes — field on which a game is played
  • Turkish: oyun sahası — field on which a game is played
  • Bulgarian: поле (pole) — any place or context of competitive activity
  • Finnish: pelikenttä — any place or context of competitive activity
  • Polish: boisko — any place or context of competitive activity