place
gb/plˈeɪs/ us/plˈeɪs/
A1
English
~ 700
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A1
entity
1
A particular location or position
A specific location or area.
Usage pattern:
[someone/something] is in/at [a place]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'place' with 'space'; 'space' refers more to emptiness or capacity, not a specific location.
Synonyms
location (A more formal or general term for a specific point or area.)
Antonyms
nowhere (Indicates the absence of any location.)
Collocations
public place
|safe place
|meeting place
|quiet place
|place of work
Themes
daily life
|geography
|space
|travel
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- This park is my favorite place to relax.
- We met at a small place near the station.
- Paris is a beautiful place to visit.
- He couldn’t find a parking place.
- This is the place where I grew up.
Learner examples
- I like this place.
- This is a good place to eat.
- My house is a small place.
- We go to that place every day.
Verb
A2
action
2
To put something somewhere
To put something in a specific spot.
Usage pattern:
to place [something] [somewhere]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'place' in all contexts where 'put' is used; in casual speech 'put' is more natural.
Synonyms
put ('Put' is more common and informal; 'place' can sound slightly more formal or careful.)
Antonyms
remove (Means to take something away from a location.)
Collocations
place an order
|place a bet
|place a book on the table
Themes
daily life
|daily_life
|space
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She placed the keys on the counter.
- Please place the chairs in the corner.
- He carefully placed the vase on the shelf.
- Place your bags under the seat in front of you.
- The teacher placed the papers on her desk.
Learner examples
- Place the pen on the table.
- He placed the book in his bag.
- She placed her phone on the bed.
- Please place your shoes by the door.
Noun
A2
relation
3
Position in a sequence or ranking
A position in a list, race, or order.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'place' (ranking) with 'place' (location); context must clarify meaning.
Synonyms
ranking (Refers specifically to hierarchical order; not necessarily physical position.)
Antonyms
disqualification (Indicates removal from competition ranking entirely.)
Collocations
first place
|second place
|take third place
Themes
sports
|competitions
|core_vocabulary
|education
Examples
- She won first place in the race.
- He took second place in the competition.
- Our team moved up to third place.
- They lost their place in the finals.
- The restaurant holds a top place in the rankings.
Learner examples
- She is in first place.
- He got third place.
- Our team is in second place.
- I want to get first place.
Noun
B1
entity
4
Appropriate role or situation
The right role or situation for someone or something.
Common mistake:
Learners may take figurative uses literally and misunderstand that this sense refers to suitability, not physical space.
Synonyms
role ('Role' refers more specifically to function; 'place' can be broader including status.)
Antonyms
misfit (Someone who does not belong in a situation or group.)
Collocations
find one's place
|know your place
Themes
society
|core_vocabulary
|relationships
|work
Examples
- She finally found her place in the company.
- It’s not my place to judge.
- He felt out of place at the party.
- Everyone has a place in this community.
- You should know your place here.
Learner examples
- I feel out of place here.
- She found her place at work.
- It is not my place to say that.
- He has a good place in the group.
Grammar
Dictionary form
place
IPA
GB/plˈeɪs/
US/plˈeɪs/
Syllables & stress
place (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (place)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: place
- Plural: places
Verb
- Base: place
- 3rd Person Singular: places
- Present Participle: placing
- Past: placed
Word family
Forms
places
noun
placing
verb
placed
verb
Related words
Advanced or less common
displacement
noun B2
Expressions
out of place
1/ˈaʊt əv plˈeɪs/
fixed phrase
Not suitable for situation/location
Not fitting well with other things around it.
Examples
- His casual clothes looked out of place at the formal dinner.
- I felt out of place among all those experts.
put someone in their place
1/pˈʊt sˈʌmwˌʌn ˈɪn ðˈɛɹ plˈeɪs/
idiom
informal
Show someone they are less important/wrong
To speak or act so that someone knows they are wrong or not as important as they think.
Examples
- She really put him in his place during the meeting.
- The coach put the arrogant player in his place.
take place
1/tˈeɪk plˈeɪs/
fixed phrase
To happen or occur
To happen at a certain time and/or location.
Examples
- The meeting will take place at 10 a.m.
- The festival took place last weekend.
in place of
1/ˈɪn plˈeɪs əv/
fixed phrase
Instead of something else
Used when one thing replaces another thing.
Examples
- You can use honey in place of sugar.
- He is playing in place of the injured goalkeeper.
- He sent his assistant in place of himself.
- We used honey in place of sugar.
in the first place
1/ˈɪn ðə fˈɚst plˈeɪs/
fixed phrase
As the first reason or point
Used to talk about the main reason something happened or should happen.
Examples
- Why didn’t you tell me in the first place?
- In the first place, we don’t have enough money for that project.
in the first place
2/ˈɪn ðə fˈɚst plˈeɪs/
fixed phrase
As an initial reason or situation
As the main reason why something happened or should happen.
Examples
- We shouldn’t have gone there in the first place.
- Why didn’t you tell me in the first place?