marketplace

noun

mar·​ket·​place ˈmär-kət-ˌplās How to pronounce marketplace (audio)
Synonyms of marketplacenext
1
a
: an open square or place in a town where markets or public sales are held
b
: market
the marketplace is the interpreter of supply and demand
2
: the world of trade or economic activity : the everyday world
3
: a sphere in which intangible values compete for acceptance
the marketplace of ideas

Synonyms of marketplace

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of marketplace in a Sentence

Their products must compete in the marketplace. The company has struggled to survive in a rapidly changing marketplace.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
With the major powers heading to the moon, low-Earth orbit becoming busier than ever, and countless new companies entering the space marketplace, the hiring pipeline is more critical than ever. — Space.com Staff, Space.com, 24 Oct. 2026 As a result of sticker shock, Ohio saw the biggest drop — tied with Oklahoma for the most in the nation — in the number of people enrolled in the marketplace last year, with a nearly 33% decline in enrollment. — Saige Miller, NPR, 23 Oct. 2026 Season Ticket Members can list eligible tickets once and reach more potential buyers, while participating marketplaces gain access to more verified tickets. — Sportico Staff, Sportico.com, 23 Oct. 2026 The Blackstone scion is smart and experienced enough to know the risks inherent in competing in the fraught indie marketplace. — Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 23 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for marketplace

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of marketplace was in the 14th century

Rhymes for marketplace

See All Rhymes for marketplace

Browse Nearby Words

market overt
marketplace
market pot
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Marketplace.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/marketplace. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

marketplace

noun
mar·​ket·​place ˈmär-kət-ˌplās How to pronounce marketplace (audio)
1
: an open square or place in a town where markets are held
2
: the world of trade

Legal Definition

marketplace

noun
mar·​ket·​place ˈmär-kət-ˌplās How to pronounce marketplace (audio)
: the economic system through which different companies compete with each other to sell their products
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of grotesque

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All