Place vs. Land: What's the Difference?
Edited by Harlon Moss || By Janet White || Updated on September 30, 2023
A "Place" denotes any location or area, while "Land" specifically refers to a solid surface of the earth not covered by water.
Key Differences
"Place" is a versatile term that encompasses various locations, both general and specific. "Land", on the other hand, zeroes in on the expanse of earth’s solid surface. While a place can be an entire city, a room, or even a country, land distinctly refers to the ground, often marked by ownership or geographic boundaries.
"Place" is not limited to the physical realm; it can denote virtual or emotional spaces. For example, an online forum might be referred to as a "place" to discuss specific topics. "Land", conversely, is tactile and tangible, used to describe terrains like deserts, forests, or plains.
A "place" might be remembered for an event, a feeling, or its ambiance. For example, a memorable place could be where someone had their first date. "Land", in contrast, might be recognized for its topography, ownership, or utility, such as farming land or a plot for construction.
Every "land" is a "place", but not every "place" is a "land". For instance, a restaurant is a place, but it’s not a land. Meanwhile, a pasture is both a place and a land, as it describes a specific type of terrain or ground.
While "place" can have abstract connotations, suggesting belonging or feeling (like "finding one’s place"), "land" is more solid, often intertwined with concepts of property, rights, and nature.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
A location or area.
Earth's solid surface not covered by water.
Usage Scope
Broad and versatile.
More specific to terrain.
Abstractness
Can have abstract connotations.
Generally tangible and concrete.
Relativity to Water
Can be underwater or on land.
Specifically not covered by water.
Ownership Implication
Not necessarily owned.
Often implies ownership or boundaries.
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Place and Land Definitions
Place
An area with definite or indefinite boundaries; a portion of space.
Land
Ground or soil used as a basis for agriculture.
The farmer tilled the land to plant crops.
Place
Room or space, especially adequate space
There is place for everyone at the back of the room.
Land
A nation or territory.
Many lands were explored during the Age of Discovery.
Place
The particular portion of space occupied by or allocated to a person or thing.
Land
Real estate or property, often referring to a large area.
He purchased a piece of land for development.
Place
A building or an area set aside for a specified purpose
A place of worship.
Land
The solid ground of the earth.
Place
A dwelling; a house
Bought a place on the lake.
Land
Ground or soil
Tilled the land.
Place
A business establishment or office.
Land
A topographically or functionally distinct tract
Desert land.
Prime building land.
Place
A locality, such as a town or city
Visited many places.
Land
A nation; a country.
Place
Abbr. Pl. A public square or street with houses in a town.
Land
The people of a nation, district, or region.
Place
A space in which one person, such as a passenger or spectator, can sit or stand.
Land
Lands Territorial possessions or property.
Place
A setting for one person at a table.
Land
Public or private landed property; real estate.
Place
A position regarded as belonging to someone or something else; stead
She was chosen in his place.
Land
(Law) The solid material of the earth as well as the natural and manmade things attached to it and the rights and interests associated with it.
Place
A particular point that one has reached, as in a book
I have lost my place.
Land
An agricultural or farming area
Wanted to buy a house on the land.
Place
A particular spot, as on the body
The place that hurts.
Land
Farming considered as a way of life.
Place
The proper or designated role or function
The place of the media in a free society.
Land
An area or realm
The land of make-believe.
The land of television.
Place
The proper or customary position or order
These books are out of place.
Land
The raised portion of a grooved surface, as on a phonograph record.
Place
A suitable setting or occasion
Not the place to argue.
Land
To bring to and unload on land
Land cargo.
Place
The appropriate right or duty
Not her place to criticize.
Land
To set (a vehicle) down on land or another surface
Land an airplane smoothly.
Land a seaplane on a lake.
Place
Social station
He overstepped his place.
Land
(Informal) To cause to arrive in a place or condition
Civil disobedience will land you in jail.
Place
A particular situation or circumstance
Put yourself in my place.
Land
To catch and pull in (a fish)
Landed a big catfish.
Place
High rank or status.
Land
(Informal) To win; secure
Land a big contract.
Place
A job, post, or position
Found a place in the company.
Land
(Informal) To deliver
Landed a blow on his opponent's head.
Place
Relative position in a series; standing.
Land
To come to shore
Landed against the current with great difficulty.
Place
(Games) Second position for betting purposes, as in a horserace.
Land
To disembark
Landed at a crowded dock.
Place
The specified stage in a list of points to be made, as in an argument
In the first place.
Land
To descend toward and settle onto the ground or another surface
The helicopter has landed.
Place
(Mathematics) A position in a numeral or series.
Land
(Informal) To arrive in a place or condition
Landed at the theater too late for the opening curtain.
Landed in trouble for being late.
Place
To put in or as if in a particular place or position; set.
Land
To come to rest in a certain way or place
Slipped and landed on his shoulder.
Place
To put in a specified relation or order
Place the words in alphabetical order.
Land
The part of Earth which is not covered by oceans or other bodies of water.
Most insects live on land.
Place
To offer for consideration
Placed the matter before the board.
Land
Real estate or landed property; a partitioned and measurable area which is owned and acquired and on which buildings and structures can be built and erected.
There are 50 acres of land in this estate.
Place
To find accommodation or employment for.
Land
A country or region.
They come from a faraway land.
Place
To put into a particular condition
Placed him under arrest.
Land
A person's country of origin and/or homeplace; homeland.
Place
To arrange for the publication or display of
Place an advertisement in the newspaper.
Land
The soil, in respect to its nature or quality for farming.
Wet land; good or bad land for growing potatoes
Place
To appoint to a post
Placed her in a key position.
Land
Realm, domain.
I'm going to Disneyland.
Maybe that's how it works in TV-land, but not in the real world.
Place
To rank in an order or sequence
I'd place him second best.
Land
(agriculture) The ground left unploughed between furrows; any of several portions into which a field is divided for ploughing.
Place
To estimate
Placed the distance at 100 feet.
Land
A shock or fright.
He got an awful land when the police arrived.
Place
To identify or classify in a particular context
Could not place that person's face.
Land
(electronics) A conducting area on a board or chip which can be used for connecting wires.
Place
To give an order for
Place a bet.
Land
On a compact disc or similar recording medium, an area of the medium which does not have pits.
Place
To apply or arrange for
Place an order.
Land
(travel) The non-airline portion of an itinerary. Hotel, tours, cruises, etc.
Our city offices sell a lot more land than our suburban offices.
Place
To make or obtain a connection for (a telephone call).
Land
(obsolete) The ground or floor.
Place
To sell (a new issue of stock, bonds, or other securities).
Land
(nautical) The lap of the strakes in a clinker-built boat; the lap of plates in an iron vessel; called also landing.
Place
To adjust (one's voice) for the best possible effects.
Land
In any surface prepared with indentations, perforations, or grooves, that part of the surface which is not so treated, such as the level part of a millstone between the furrows.
Place
To be among those who finish a competition or race, especially to finish second.
Land
(ballistics) The space between the rifling grooves in a gun.
Place
(physical) An area; somewhere within an area.
Land
A group of dwellings or tenements under one roof and having a common entry.
Place
An open space, particularly a city square, market square, or courtyard.
Land
Lant; urine
Place
A street, sometimes but not always surrounding a public place, square, or plaza of the same name.
They live at Westminster Place.
Land
(intransitive) To descend to a surface, especially from the air.
The plane is about to land.
Place
An inhabited area: a village, town, or city.
Land
(dated) To alight, to descend from a vehicle.
Place
Any area of the earth: a region.
He is going back to his native place on vacation.
Land
(intransitive) To come into rest.
Place
The area one occupies, particularly somewhere to sit.
We asked the restaurant to give us a table with three places.
Land
(intransitive) To arrive on land, especially a shore or dock, from a body of water.
Place
The area where one lives: one's home, formerly country estates and farms.
Do you want to come over to my place later?
Land
(transitive) To bring to land.
It can be tricky to land a helicopter.
Use the net to land the fish.
Place
An area of the body, especially the skin.
Which place hurts the most?
Land
To capture or arrest.
Place
An area to urinate and defecate: an outhouse or lavatory.
Land
(transitive) To acquire; to secure.
Place
An area to fight: a battlefield or the contested ground in a battle.
Land
To succeed in having sexual relations with; to score
Too ugly to ever land a chick
Place
A location or position in space.
Land
(transitive) (of a blow) To deliver.
If you land a knockout blow, you’ll win the match
Place
A particular location in a book or document, particularly the current location of a reader.
Land
(intransitive) (of a punch) To connect
If the punches land, you might lose a few teeth!
Place
A passage or extract from a book or document.
Land
(intransitive) To go down well with an audience.
Some of the comedian's jokes failed to land.
Place
A topic.
Land
Urine. See Lant.
Place
A state of mind.
I'm in a strange place at the moment.
Land
The solid part of the surface of the earth; - opposed to water as constituting a part of such surface, especially to oceans and seas; as, to sight land after a long voyage.
They turn their heads to sea, their sterns to land.
Place
A chess position; a square of the chessboard.
Land
Any portion, large or small, of the surface of the earth, considered by itself, or as belonging to an individual or a people, as a country, estate, farm, or tract.
Go view the land, even Jericho.
Ill fares the land, to hastening ills a prey,Where wealth accumulates and men decay.
A poor parson dwelling upon land [i.e., in the country].
Place
(social) A responsibility or position in an organization.
Land
Ground, in respect to its nature or quality; soil; as, wet land; good or bad land.
Place
A role or purpose; a station.
It is really not my place to say what is right and wrong in this case.
Land
The inhabitants of a nation or people.
These answers, in the silent night received,The king himself divulged, the land believed.
Place
The position of a contestant in a competition.
We thought we would win but only ended up in fourth place.
Land
The mainland, in distinction from islands.
Place
(horse-racing) The position of first, second, or third at the finish, especially the second position.
To win a bet on a horse for place
Land
The ground or floor.
Herself upon the land she did prostrate.
Place
The position as a member of a sports team.
He lost his place in the national team.
Land
The ground left unplowed between furrows; any one of several portions into which a field is divided for convenience in plowing.
Place
A fortified position: a fortress, citadel, or walled town.
Land
Any ground, soil, or earth whatsoever, as meadows, pastures, woods, etc., and everything annexed to it, whether by nature, as trees, water, etc., or by the hand of man, as buildings, fences, etc.; real estate.
Place
Numerically, the column counting a certain quantity.
Three decimal places;
The hundreds place
Land
The lap of the strakes in a clinker-built boat; the lap of plates in an iron vessel; - called also landing.
Place
Ordinal relation; position in the order of proceeding.
That's what I said in the first place!
Land
In any surface prepared with indentations, perforations, or grooves, that part of the surface which is not so treated, as the level part of a millstone between the furrows, or the surface of the bore of a rifled gun between the grooves.
Place
Reception; effect; implying the making room for.
Land
To set or put on shore from a ship or other water craft; to disembark; to debark.
I 'll undertake to land them on our coast.
Place
(transitive) To put (an object or person) in a specific location.
He placed the glass on the table.
Land
To catch and bring to shore; to capture; as, to land a fish.
Place
(intransitive) To earn a given spot in a competition.
The Cowboys placed third in the league.
Land
To set down after conveying; to cause to fall, alight, or reach; to bring to the end of a course; as, he landed the quoit near the stake; to be thrown from a horse and landed in the mud; to land one in difficulties or mistakes.
Place
To finish second, especially of horses or dogs.
In the third race: Aces Up won, paying eight dollars; Blarney Stone placed, paying three dollars; and Cinnamon showed, paying five dollars.
Land
To pilot (an airplane) from the air onto the land; as, to land the plane on a highway.
Place
To rank at (a certain position, often followed by an ordinal) as in a horse race.
Run Ragged was placed fourth in the race.
Land
To come to the end of a course; to arrive at a destination, literally or figuratively; as, he landed in trouble; after hithchiking for a week, he landed in Los Angeles.
Place
(transitive) To remember where and when (an object or person) has been previously encountered.
I've seen him before, but I can't quite place where.
Land
To go on shore from a ship or boat; to disembark.
Place
(transitive) To sing (a note) with the correct pitch.
Land
To reach and come to rest on land after having been in the air; as, the arrow landed in a flower bed; the golf ball landed in a sand trap; our airplane landed in Washington.
Place
(transitive) To arrange for or to make (a bet).
I placed ten dollars on the Lakers beating the Bulls.
Land
The land on which real estate is located;
He built the house on land leased from the city
Place
(transitive) To establish a call connection by telephone or similar.
Land
Material in the top layer of the surface of the earth in which plants can grow (especially with reference to its quality or use);
The land had never been plowed
Good agricultural soil
Place
(transitive) To recruit or match an appropriate person for a job, or a home for an animal for adoption, etc.
They phoned hoping to place her in the management team.
Land
The solid part of the earth's surface;
The plane turned away from the sea and moved back over land
The earth shook for several minutes
He dropped the logs on the ground
Place
To place-kick (a goal).
Land
Territory over which rule or control is exercised;
His domain extended into Europe
He made it the law of the land
Place
Any portion of space regarded as measured off or distinct from all other space, or appropriated to some definite object or use; position; ground; site; spot; rarely, unbounded space.
Here is the place appointed.
What place can be for usWithin heaven's bound?
The word place has sometimes a more confused sense, and stands for that space which any body takes up; and so the universe is a place.
Land
The territory occupied by a nation;
He returned to the land of his birth
He visited several European countries
Place
A broad way in a city; an open space; an area; a court or short part of a street open only at one end.
Land
A domain in which something is dominant;
The untroubled kingdom of reason
A land of make-believe
The rise of the realm of cotton in the south
Place
A position which is occupied and held; a dwelling; a mansion; a village, town, or city; a fortified town or post; a stronghold; a region or country.
Are you native of this place?
Land
Extensive landed property (especially in the country) retained by the owner for his own use;
The family owned a large estate on Long Island
Place
Rank; degree; grade; order of priority, advancement, dignity, or importance; especially, social rank or position; condition; also, official station; occupation; calling.
Men in great place are thrice servants.
I know my place as I would they should do theirs.
Land
The people who live in a nation or country;
A statement that sums up the nation's mood
The news was announced to the nation
The whole country worshipped him
Place
Vacated or relinquished space; room; stead (the departure or removal of another being or thing being implied).
Land
A politically organized body of people under a single government;
The state has elected a new president
African nations
Students who had come to the nation's capitol
The country's largest manufacturer
An industrialized land
Place
A definite position or passage of a document.
The place of the scripture which he read was this.
Land
United States inventor who incorporated Polaroid film into lenses and invented the one-step photographic process (1909-1991)
Place
Ordinal relation; position in the order of proceeding; as, he said in the first place.
Land
Working the land as an occupation or way of life;
Farming is a strenuous life
There's no work on the land any more
Place
Reception; effect; - implying the making room for.
My word hath no place in you.
Land
Reach or come to rest;
The bird landed on the highest branch
The plane landed in Istanbul
Place
Position in the heavens, as of a heavenly body; - usually defined by its right ascension and declination, or by its latitude and longitude.
Land
Cause to come to the ground;
The pilot managed to land the airplane safely
Place
The position of first, second, or third at the finish, esp. the second position. In betting, to win a bet on a horse for place it must, in the United States, finish first or second, in England, usually, first, second, or third.
Land
Bring into a different state;
This may land you in jail
Place
To assign a place to; to put in a particular spot or place, or in a certain relative position; to direct to a particular place; to fix; to settle; to locate; as, to place a book on a shelf; to place balls in tennis.
Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown.
Land
Bring ashore;
The drug smugglers landed the heroin on the beach of the island
Place
To put or set in a particular rank, office, or position; to surround with particular circumstances or relations in life; to appoint to certain station or condition of life; as, in whatever sphere one is placed.
Place such over them to be rulers.
Land
Deliver (a blow);
He landed several blows on his opponent's head
Place
To put out at interest; to invest; to loan; as, to place money in a bank.
Land
Arrive on shore;
The ship landed in Pearl Harbor
Place
To set; to fix; to repose; as, to place confidence in a friend.
Land
Shoot at and force to come down;
The enemy landed several of our aircraft
Place
To attribute; to ascribe; to set down.
Place it for her chief virtue.
Land
Relating to or characteristic of or occurring on land;
Land vehicles
Sea stories
Sea smells
Sea traffic
Place
To determine or announce the place of at the finish. Usually, in horse racing only the first three horses are placed officially.
Land
Operating or living or growing in water;
Boats are aquatic vehicles
Water lilies are aquatic plants
Fish are aquatic animals
Place
To place-kick ( a goal).
Land
The surface of the earth not covered by water.
The ship finally sighted land after days at sea.
Place
To recognize or identify (a person).
Land
To come down from the air to the ground.
The plane will land in 20 minutes.
Place
A point located with respect to surface features of some region;
This is a nice place for a picnic
Place
Any area set aside for a particular purpose;
Who owns this place?
The president was concerned about the property across from the White House
Place
An abstract mental location;
He has a special place in my thoughts
A place in my heart
A political system with no place for the less prominent groups
Place
A general vicinity;
He comes from a place near Chicago
Place
The function or position properly or customarily occupied or served by another;
Can you go in my stead?
Took his place
In lieu of
Place
A particular situation;
If you were in my place what would you do?
Place
Where you live at a particular time;
Deliver the package to my home
He doesn't have a home to go to
Your place or mine?
Place
A job in an organization;
He occupied a post in the treasury
Place
The particular portion of space occupied by a physical object;
He put the lamp back in its place
Place
Proper or designated social situation;
He overstepped his place
The responsibilities of a man in his station
Married above her station
Place
A space reserved for sitting (as in a theater or on a train or airplane);
He booked their seats in advance
He sat in someone else's place
Place
The passage that is being read;
He lost his place on the page
Place
Proper or appropriate position or location;
A woman's place is no longer in the kitchen
Place
A public square with room for pedestrians;
They met at Elm Plaza
Grosvenor Place
Place
An item on a list or in a sequence;
In the second place
Moved from third to fifth position
Place
A blank area;
Write your name in the space provided
Place
Put into a certain place or abstract location;
Put your things here
Set the tray down
Set the dogs on the scent of the missing children
Place emphasis on a certain point
Place
Place somebody in a particular situation or location;
He was placed on probation
Place
Assign a rank or rating to;
How would you rank these students?
The restaurant is rated highly in the food guide
Place
Assign a location to;
The company located some of their agents in Los Angeles
Place
To arrange for;
Place a phone call
Place a bet
Place
Take a place in a competition; often followed by an ordinal;
Jerry came in third in the Marathon
Place
Intend (something) to move towards a certain goal;
He aimed his fists towards his opponent's face
Criticism directed at her superior
Direct your anger towards others, not towards yourself
Place
Recognize as being; establish the identity of someone or something;
She identified the man on the 'wanted' poster
Place
Assign to (a job or a home)
Place
Locate;
The film is set in Africa
Place
Estimate;
We put the time of arrival at 8 P.M.
Place
Identify the location or place of;
We localized the source of the infection
Place
Make an investment;
Put money into bonds
Place
Assign to a station
Place
Finish second or better in a horse or dog race;
He bet $2 on number six to place
Place
Sing a note with the correct pitch
Place
A particular position or point in space.
I've reserved a place for you at the event.
Place
A portion of space designated for a purpose.
I need a place to park my car.
Place
A specific area or region.
The beach is my favorite place to relax.
Place
A position in a series or hierarchy.
She finished in first place in the marathon.
Place
An appropriate position or setting.
Everything in the room found its place.
FAQs
Can land be underwater?
By definition, land refers to the surface not covered by water.
What does "land" often imply?
Land often implies ownership, boundaries, or a specific terrain.
Is "place" always a physical location?
No, "place" can also refer to virtual or emotional spaces.
Is "home" considered a place?
Yes, a home is a specific type of place.
Can "place" be used in a figurative sense?
Yes, like "finding one's place in the world."
What's a synonym for "place"?
Locale, spot, or location.
Can a land be a place?
Yes, every land is a place, but not every place is a land.
How does "land" relate to real estate?
"Land" often refers to a property or real estate, especially larger expanses.
Is an island a place or a land?
An island is both a place and a land.
Can "land" be a verb?
Yes, like when an airplane "lands" on a runway.
Can a building be called a place?
Yes, a building, like a school or a mall, is a place.
What does "arable land" mean?
It means land suitable for growing crops.
What's the difference between "land" and "terrain"?
While both refer to the earth's surface, "terrain" often describes the land's physical character.
Can "place" denote rank?
Yes, like "first place in a competition."
Is "soil" synonymous with "land"?
Not necessarily. Soil is the top layer of earth in which plants grow, a subset of land.
About Author
Written by
Janet WhiteJanet White has been an esteemed writer and blogger for Difference Wiki. Holding a Master's degree in Science and Medical Journalism from the prestigious Boston University, she has consistently demonstrated her expertise and passion for her field. When she's not immersed in her work, Janet relishes her time exercising, delving into a good book, and cherishing moments with friends and family.
Edited by
Harlon MossHarlon is a seasoned quality moderator and accomplished content writer for Difference Wiki. An alumnus of the prestigious University of California, he earned his degree in Computer Science. Leveraging his academic background, Harlon brings a meticulous and informed perspective to his work, ensuring content accuracy and excellence.
