playground

playground — noun

1. a fenced or open space outside, usually next to a school or inside a park, with

1.nounA2
Definition

a fenced or open space outside, usually next to a school or inside a park, with swings, slides, and other equipment for young children to play on.

Example

Maya pushed her little brother on the swings in the school playground.

in the playground (location preposition)

The new playground at Central Park has a wooden castle and a long blue slide.

noun phrase: the new/old/local playground

Common collocations
  • school playground
  • children's playground
  • public playground
  • playground equipment
Synonyms
  • play area

    more general; can be indoors or smaller

  • playpark

    British, informal; a small park built mainly for play equipment

  • recreation ground

    more formal; usually a larger area that includes sports pitches

Grammar Patterns

in the playground

on the playground

Usage Note

Often takes 'in' (British English) or 'on' (American English) as the location preposition. Frequently modified by 'school', 'public', or 'children's'.

Common Mistakes

I played at the playground yesterday with toys.
I played in the playground yesterday on the swings.
pair 'playground' with the equipment that lives there (swings, slides, climbing frames), not generic 'toys'.

2. a place that one type of person, such as the rich, surfers, or skateboarders, tr

2.nounB2
Definition

a place that one type of person, such as the rich, surfers, or skateboarders, treats as their favourite spot for fun and free-time activities.

Example

The Greek islands have long been a playground for wealthy European tourists.

a playground for + group noun

Since the new ramps opened, the old harbour has become a playground for local skateboarders.

become a playground for + group

Common collocations
  • a playground for the rich
  • winter playground
  • playground of the wealthy
  • tourist playground
Synonyms
  • haunt

    a place someone visits often, but usually about one person, not a whole group

  • paradise

    stronger; suggests near-perfect conditions for an activity ('a surfer's paradise')

  • hotspot

    more about being popular and busy than about leisure for a specific group

Grammar Patterns

a playground for [group of people]

the playground of [group]

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is figurative and almost always followed by 'for' or 'of' plus a group of people; the place itself is rarely a children's play area. Often carries a slight critical tone when the group is rich or powerful.

Common Mistakes

Monaco is a playground rich people.
Monaco is a playground for rich people.
the preposition 'for' (or 'of') is required to introduce the group.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words name an outdoor space where children play, but they differ in size and formality. 'Playground' is the everyday word and is the one schools and parents use most; it usually means a fenced area with swings and slides. 'Play area' is more general — a small corner of a restaurant, a shopping mall, or even a garden can be called one. 'Playpark' (mainly British) sounds friendly and small, often a single set of equipment in a housing estate. 'Recreation ground' is the most formal and biggest of the four; it often includes football pitches and tennis courts as well as a children's section. So you might say: 'Our school has a small playground, but the recreation ground down the road has a big playpark inside it.'

playground ↗play areaplayparkrecreation ground

Common collocations

Nouns

  • playground equipment
  • playground bully
  • playground games
  • school playground

Phrases

  • a playground for the rich
  • the world is your playground

Prepositions

  • in the playground
  • on the playground
  • at the playground
  • playground for
  • playground of

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishModern English

A simple compound formed in English in the early 1700s from 'play' + 'ground' — literally a piece of ground for play. It first named open land near schools where children could run about, and only later picked up the figurative sense of a favourite spot for any group of people enjoying themselves.