Plaza vs. Square: What's the Difference?
Edited by Harlon Moss || By Janet White || Updated on October 3, 2023
Plaza is an open public space, often with commercial buildings, while Square is an open area in a city or town where multiple streets meet, typically used for gatherings.
Key Differences
Both Plaza and Square are open public spaces that have been integral in urban design. Plaza, originating from the Spanish word for 'place', often emphasizes a commercial or business-oriented space. This setting may contain shopping centers, restaurants, or entertainment venues. On the other hand, Square has deep roots in town planning across various cultures and tends to be a communal gathering spot.
Plaza and Square both serve as social hubs, but their primary functions may differ. While the primary allure of a Plaza may be its commercial establishments and business areas, a Square is more traditionally a place for community gatherings, events, and sometimes even political demonstrations.
In architecture and urban design, the aesthetics of a Plaza might lean more towards modernity and luxury, reflecting its commercial intent. In contrast, a Square may have historical monuments, statues, or fountains, encapsulating the cultural or historical essence of a city or town.
Both Plaza and Square play pivotal roles in directing pedestrian movement in urban areas. While Plazas often become focal points for shopping and entertainment, Squares offer relaxation spots and connect various streets, serving as significant junctions in a city's layout.
Comparison Chart
Origin
Derived from Spanish for 'place'.
Universal term used across cultures.
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Primary Function
Commercial and business-oriented.
Communal gathering and intersections.
Typical Features
Modern buildings, shopping centers.
Historical monuments, statues, fountains.
Usage in Urban Design
Focal points for shopping and entertainment.
Connects streets; significant city junctions.
Cultural Importance
More modern and commercial.
Often encapsulates historical essence.
Plaza and Square Definitions
Plaza
A shopping complex or commercial center.
The new plaza has some of the best restaurants in town.
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Square
A rectangle with all four sides of equal length.
Draw a square with each side measuring 5 inches.
Plaza
An open area used for gathering or recreation.
Families gathered in the plaza for the summer concert.
Square
Straightforward or direct.
He's a square shooter; you can trust him.
Plaza
A designated pedestrian zone in urban areas.
The city transformed the street into a pedestrian plaza.
Square
To multiply a number by itself.
Square 5, and you get 25.
Plaza
A public square or similar open area in a town or city.
Square
A polygon having four equal sides and four equal angles.
Plaza
A widened roadway forming the approach to tollbooths on a highway.
Square
Something having an equal-sided rectangular form
A square of cloth.
Plaza
A parking or service area next to a highway.
Square
A T-shaped or L-shaped instrument for drawing or testing right angles.
Plaza
A shopping center.
Square
(Mathematics) The product obtained when a number or quantity is multiplied by itself
49 is the square of 7.
Plaza
A town's public square.
Square
(Games) Any of the quadrilateral spaces on a board, as in chess.
Plaza
An open area used for gathering in a city, often having small trees and sitting benches.
Square
Abbr. Sq. An open, usually four-sided area at the intersection of two or more streets, often planted with grass and trees for use as a park.
Plaza
(North America) A strip mall.
Square
A rectangular space enclosed by streets and occupied by buildings; a block.
Plaza
A shopping mall.
Square
The flower bud of a cotton plant, with three bracts surrounding the unopened flower in a pyramidal structure.
Plaza
A public square in a city or town.
Square
(Slang) A person who is regarded as dull, rigidly conventional, and out of touch with current trends.
Plaza
A public square with room for pedestrians;
They met at Elm Plaza
Grosvenor Place
Square
Having four equal sides and four right angles.
Plaza
Mercantile establishment consisting of a carefully landscaped complex of shops representing leading merchandisers; usually includes restaurants and a convenient parking area; a modern version of the traditional marketplace;
A good plaza should have a movie house
They spent their weekends at the local malls
Square
Forming a right angle.
Plaza
A forecourt of a building or complex.
The hotel's plaza was adorned with beautiful fountains.
Square
In alignment or flush
Put the paper square with the edge of the desk.
Square
Abbr. sq. Expressed in units measuring area
Square feet.
Square
Having a specified length in each of two equal dimensions
A room that is 12 feet square.
Square
Having a base that is a square
A square pyramid.
Square
(Nautical) Set at right angles to the mast and keel. Used of the yards of a square-rigged ship.
Square
Approximately rectangular and equilateral in cross section
A square house.
Square
Characterized by blocklike solidity or sturdiness.
Square
Honest; direct
A square answer.
Square
Just; equitable
A square deal.
Square
Having all accounts settled; even
I paid what I owed you, so we're square.
Square
(Sports) Even; tied.
Square
(Slang) Rigidly conventional; dull.
Square
To cut to a square or rectangular shape. Often used with off.
Square
To test or adjust for conformity to a desired plane, straight line, or right angle.
Square
To mark into squares. Often used with off.
Square
To bring into conformity or agreement
She could not square the request with her principles.
Square
To bring (oneself) into a better position or relation
He tried to square himself with his parents.
Square
To set straight or at approximate right angles
Square one's cap.
Square
To bring into balance; settle
Square a debt.
Square
(Sports) To even the score of
To square a game.
Square
To raise (a number or quantity) to the second power.
Square
To find a square equal in area to (the area of a given figure).
Square
(Informal) To bribe or fix
A party in litigation that tried to square the judge.
Square
(Mathematics) To be at right angles.
Square
To agree or conform
A story that doesn't square with the facts.
Square
(Mathematics) At right angles.
Square
In a square shape.
Square
In a solid manner; firmly.
Square
Directly; straight
Ran square into each other.
Square
In an honest, straightforward manner.
Square
(geometry) A polygon with four sides of equal length and four right angles; an equilateral rectangle; a regular quadrilateral.
Square
Something characterized by a square, or nearly square, form.
Square
A cell in a grid.
You may not move a piece to a square already occupied by one of your own pieces.
Square
A square piece, part, or surface.
A square of glass
Square
The front of a woman's dress over the bosom, usually worked or embroidered.
Square
(North America) A dessert cut into rectangular pieces, or a piece of such a dessert.
Square
(printing) A certain number of lines, forming a portion of a column, nearly square; used chiefly in reckoning the prices of advertisements in newspapers.
Column inch
Square
An L- or T-shaped tool used to place objects or draw lines at right angles.
Square
A true measure, standard, or pattern.
Square
An open space or park, often in the center of a town, not necessarily square in shape, often containing trees, seating and other features pleasing to the eye.
Square
A street surrounding a public square or plaza.
Square
(mathematics) The product of a number or quantity multiplied by itself; the second power of a number, value, term or expression.
64 is the square of 8.
Square
(military formation) A body of troops drawn up in a square formation.
Square
A socially conventional or conservative person; a person who has little or no interest in the latest fads or trends: still sometimes used in modern terminology.
Why do you always wear a tie? Don't be such a square!
Square
(British) The symbol # on a telephone; hash.
Enter your account number followed by a square.
Square
(cricket) The central area of a cricket field, with one or more pitches of which only one is used at a time.
An ideal playing area is roughly circular in shape with a central area, the cricket square, measuring 27.44 metres by 27.44 metres and boundaries 45.75 metres from the sides of the square.
Square
(real estate) A unit of measurement of area, equal to a 10 foot by 10 foot square, i.e. 100 square feet or roughly 9.3 square metres. Used in real estate for the size of a house or its rooms, though progressively being replaced by square metres in metric countries such as Australia.
Square
(roofing) A unit used in measuring roof area equivalent to 100 square feet (9.29 m²) of roof area. The materials for roofing jobs are often billed by the square in the United States.
Square
(academia) A mortarboard.
Square
Senseid|en|square meal elliptically}} {{ellipsis of square meal
Even when times were tough, we got three squares a day.
Square
(archaic) Exact proportion; justness of workmanship and conduct; regularity; rule.
Square
The relation of harmony, or exact agreement; equality; level.
Square
(astrology) The position of planets distant ninety degrees from each other; a quadrate.
Square
(dated) The act of squaring, or quarrelling; a quarrel.
Square
(slang) Cigarette.
Square
(brewing) A vat used for fermentation.
Square
A well-defined core of a human body, a flat section from the fundament to the thoracic diaphragm.
Square
Shaped like a square the polygon.
Square
Forming a right angle (90°).
A square corner
Square
(of box-shaped objects such as buildings or metal frames) Forming right angles in all planes as intended; not rack or leaning.
The foundation has to be level and the framing has to be square.
Square
(nautical) Forming right angles with the mast or the keel, and parallel to the horizon; said of the yards of a square-rigged vessel when they are so braced.
Square
Used in the names of units of area formed by multiplying a unit of length by itself.
Square metre
Square mile
Square
Honest; straightforward; fair.
I'm just looking for a square deal on my car repair.
Square dealing
Square
Satisfied; comfortable with; not experiencing any conflict.
Square
Even; tied
To make or leave the accounts square
The sides were square at the end of the half.
Square
Socially conventional; boring.
Square
(cricket) In line with the batsman's popping crease.
Square
Solid, decent, substantial.
It may be prison, but at least I'm getting three square meals a day.
Square
Having a shape broad for the height, with angular rather than curving outlines.
A man of a square frame
Square
Directly.
Square
(transitive) To adjust so as to align with or place at a right angle to something else; in particular:
The casting was mounted on a milling machine so that its sides could be squared.
Square
(nautical) To place at a right angle to the mast or keel.
To square the yards
Square
(rowing) To rotate the oars so that they are perpendicular to the water.
Square
(ambitransitive) To resolve or reconcile; to suit or fit.
John can square this question up for us.
These results just don't square with what we expected.
Square
(transitive) To adjust or adapt so as to bring into harmony with something.
I cannot square the results of the experiment with my hypothesis.
To square our actions by the opinions of others
Square
Of a value, term, or expression, to multiply by itself; to raise to the second power.
Square
To draw, with a pair of compasses and a straightedge only, a square with the same area as.
Square the circle
Square
To tile (completely fill) with squares.
Square
(soccer) To make a short low pass sideways across the pitch
Square
(archaic) To take opposing sides; to quarrel.
Square
To accord or agree exactly; to be consistent with; to suit; to fit.
Square
(obsolete) To go to opposite sides; to take an attitude of offense or defense, or of defiance; to quarrel.
Square
To take a boxing attitude; often with up or off.
Square
To form with four sides and four right angles.
Square
To form with right angles and straight lines, or flat surfaces.
To square mason's work
Square
To compare with, or reduce to, any given measure or standard.
Square
(astrology) To hold a quartile position respecting.
Square
The corner, or angle, of a figure.
Square
Hence, anything which is square, or nearly so
He bolted his food down his capacious throat in squares of three inches.
Square
A pane of glass.
Square
An area of four sides, generally with houses on each side; sometimes, a solid block of houses; also, an open place or area for public use, as at the meeting or intersection of two or more streets.
The statue of Alexander VII. stands in the large square of the town.
Square
An instrument having at least one right angle and two or more straight edges, used to lay out or test square work. It is of several forms, as the T square, the carpenter's square, the try-square., etc.
Square
Hence, a pattern or rule.
Square
The product of a number or quantity multiplied by itself; thus, 64 is the square of 8, for 8
Square
Exact proportion; justness of workmanship and conduct; regularity; rule.
They of Galatia [were] much more out of square.
I have not kept my square.
Square
A body of troops formed in a square, esp. one formed to resist a charge of cavalry; a squadron.
Square
Fig.: The relation of harmony, or exact agreement; equality; level.
We live not on the square with such as these.
Square
The position of planets distant ninety degrees from each other; a quadrate.
Square
The act of squaring, or quarreling; a quarrel.
Square
The front of a woman's dress over the bosom, usually worked or embroidered.
Square
Having four equal sides and four right angles; as, a square figure.
Square
Forming a right angle; as, a square corner.
Square
Having a shape broad for the height, with rectilineal and angular rather than curving outlines; as, a man of a square frame.
Square
Exactly suitable or correspondent; true; just.
She's a most triumphant lady, if report be square to her.
Square
Rendering equal justice; exact; fair; honest; as, square dealing.
Square
Even; leaving no balance; as, to make or leave the accounts square.
Square
Leaving nothing; hearty; vigorous.
By Heaven, square eaters.More meat, I say.
Square
At right angles with the mast or the keel, and parallel to the horizon; - said of the yards of a square-rigged vessel when they are so braced.
Square
To form with four equal sides and four right angles.
Square
To form with right angles and straight lines, or flat surfaces; as, to square masons' work.
Square
To compare with, or reduce to, any given measure or standard.
Square
To adjust; to regulate; to mold; to shape; to fit; as, to square our actions by the opinions of others.
Square my trialTo my proportioned strength.
Square
To make even, so as to leave no remainder or difference; to balance; as, to square accounts.
Square
To multiply by itself; as, to square a number or a quantity.
Square
To hold a quartile position respecting.
The icy Goat and Crab that square the Scales.
Square
To place at right angles with the keel; as, to square the yards.
Square
To accord or agree exactly; to be consistent with; to conform or agree; to suit; to fit.
No works shall find acceptance . . .That square not truly with the Scripture plan.
Square
To go to opposite sides; to take an attitude of offense or defense, or of defiance; to quarrel.
Are you such foolsTo square for this?
Square
To take a boxing attitude; - often with up, sometimes with off.
Square
(geometry) a plane rectangle with four equal sides and four right angles; a four-sided regular polygon;
You can compute the area of a square if you know the length of its sides
Square
The product of two equal terms;
Nine is the second power of three
Gravity is inversely proportional to the square of the distance
Square
An open area at the meeting of two or more streets
Square
Something approximating the shape of a square
Square
Someone who doesn't understand what is going on
Square
A formal and conservative person with old-fashioned views
Square
Any artifact having a shape similar to a plane geometric figure with four equal sides and four right angles;
A checkerboard has 64 squares
Square
A hand tool consisting of two straight arms at right angles; used to construct or test right angles;
The carpenter who built this room must have lost his square
Square
Raise to the second power
Square
Make square;
Square the circle
Square the wood with a file
Square
Cause to match, as of ideas or acts
Square
Position so as to be square;
He squared his shoulders
Square
Be compatible with;
One idea squares with another
Square
Pay someone and settle a debt;
I squared with him
Square
Turn the paddle; in canoeing
Square
Turn the oar, while rowing
Square
Having four equal sides and four right angles or forming a right angle;
A square peg in a round hole
A square corner
Square
Leaving no balance;
My account with you is now all square
Square
Characterized by honesty and fairness;
A square deal
Wanted to do the square thing
Square
Without evasion or compromise;
A square contradiction
He is not being as straightforward as it appears
Square
Rigidly conventional or old-fashioned
Square
In a straight direct way;
Looked him squarely in the eye
Ran square into me
Square
With honesty and fairness;
Dealt squarely with his customers
Always treated me square
Square
In a square shape;
A squarely cut piece of paper
Folded the sheet of paper square
Square
Firmly and solidly;
Hit the ball squarely
The bat met the ball squarely
Planted his great bulk square before his enemy
Square
An open area where multiple streets intersect.
The town square was beautifully lit up for the holidays.
Square
A place for public gatherings or events.
Protestors assembled at the square to voice their concerns.
FAQs
Are Plazas common in Spanish-speaking countries?
Yes, the concept of plazas is integral in Spanish and Latin American urban designs.
Can a Plaza be inside a mall?
Yes, some indoor shopping malls have areas referred to as plazas.
Is a Plaza always commercial?
Mostly, but not always. Some might be more recreational or ceremonial.
Is Plaza a Spanish word?
Yes, it originates from Spanish and means 'place'.
What is a Plaza?
A plaza is an open public space, often surrounded by commercial buildings.
How does a Square differ from a Plaza?
A square is a public open space in a city where streets intersect, while a plaza has a more commercial focus.
Are town Squares common in small towns?
Yes, they often serve as the heart of small towns.
Do Squares have historical significance?
Often, yes. Many squares feature monuments, statues, or landmarks.
Are all Squares four-sided?
In geometry, yes. In urban design, not necessarily; it denotes an open space, regardless of shape.
Can a Square be used for protests?
Yes, squares are often gathering spots for various public events, including protests.
How important are Squares in urban planning?
They're essential, serving as communal spaces and often influencing city traffic flow.
Can Squares be modern spaces?
While many are historical, there are also contemporary squares in newer cities.
Can a Square be a garden?
Yes, some squares are green spaces or gardens, especially in European cities.
Do Plazas attract tourists?
Yes, especially in cities with renowned plazas surrounded by attractions.
Can a Plaza be a park?
Some plazas incorporate green spaces and might resemble parks.
Can a Plaza be pedestrian-only?
Yes, many plazas are designed as pedestrian zones.
Do all cities have a Plaza?
Not necessarily, but many cities incorporate plazas into their design.
Are Plazas more prevalent in warmer climates?
They're common in many climates but might be especially prevalent in regions where outdoor gatherings are frequent.
What's the purpose of a city Square?
To offer communal space for gatherings, events, and as a junction for multiple streets.
Do all Squares have statues or monuments?
No, but many squares, especially historical ones, feature such landmarks.
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.
