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Meaning & use

park

noun, verb·Everyday

Last updated

UK/pɑːk/
US/pɑːrk/

Meanings

  1. nouncountable

    A public area with grass and trees where people can walk, play, or relax.

    Grammar: Countable: a park, two parks; use 'in the park' for being inside it and 'to the park' for going there.

    Patterns

    • in the park
    • go to the park
    • a park with something

    The children play in the park after school.

    We had a picnic in the park last Sunday.

    This park has a small lake and a playground.

  2. verbtransitive or intransitive

    To leave a vehicle in a place for a while.

    Grammar: Can take an object (park the car) or stand alone (We parked outside).

    Patterns

    • park something
    • park outside
    • park in front of something

    You can park your car behind the building.

    We parked near the station and walked to the office.

    It is hard to park in the city center on Saturdays.

  3. nouncountable

    A large area of land kept in its natural state for animals and plants.

    Grammar: Often used in names of protected areas, with a capital letter: Yellowstone National Park.

    Patterns

    • a national park
    • a wildlife park

    The national park protects bears, wolves, and old forests.

    We drove through the park and saw deer beside the road.

  4. nouncountableBritish

    An area where sports are played, or the field itself.

    Grammar: In British English, a football park is a field; in American English, 'ballpark' is the usual word for a baseball ground.

    Patterns

    • a baseball park
    • play in the park

    The new baseball park holds forty thousand fans.

    They built a small park for local teams.

Word forms

third person singularparks
past tenseparked
past participleparked
-ing formparking
pluralparks

Common combinations

park the car
Please park the car where the sign allows it.
a public park
The city opened a new public park near the river.
parking lot
The parking lot is full on weekday mornings.
national park
Yellowstone National Park is famous for its hot springs.
in the park
There is a concert in the park tonight.

Synonyms and how they differ

garden
A garden is usually private and planted with flowers or vegetables, while a park is public land for everyone.
playground
A playground is a small area with equipment for children, often inside a park.
leave
For vehicles, 'leave the car' is more general; 'park' means leaving it in an allowed place for a time.

Word family

parking noun
The act of leaving a vehicle somewhere, or space for doing so.
parked adjective
Describing a vehicle that is standing in a place, as in 'a parked car'.
parkway noun
A wide road with trees or grass along the sides.

Commonly confused: park or parka?

park vs parka

A parka is a warm winter jacket; park is the open public space or the act of leaving a car.

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