marketplace

noun

mar·​ket·​place ˈmär-kət-ˌplās 

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

• commerce
• trade
• traffic

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

But others, particularly less-advantaged people without personal vehicles, will either have to turn to shady online marketplaces or perhaps not get a pet at all. —Ed Sayres, Boston Herald, 1 May 2026

As Amazon’s fulfillment network evolves, the online marketplace continues to reel in record sales and profits. —Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 30 Apr. 2026

Cigna is pulling out of the Affordable Care Act’s individual marketplaces in 2027 to focus on more promising parts of its business, another exit from what’s become a tumultuous piece of the insurance industry. —Tara Bannow, STAT, 30 Apr. 2026

Researchers believe proposed federal policy changes — including Medicaid funding cuts and work requirements, marketplace enrollment requirements, and the expiration of extra ACA premium subsidies enacted during the pandemic — may worsen the disparities going forward. —Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for marketplace

• aerospace
• anatase
• anyplace
• commonplace
• cyberspace
• database
• diabase
• diastase
• dnase
• elastase
• fireplace
• hyperspace

Kids Definition

marketplace

noun

mar·​ket·​place ˈmär-kət-ˌplās 

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 

: the economic system through which different companies compete with each other to sell their products