Word
car park
Definition
compound. A place, either outside or in a building, where you can leave your car for a period of time.
compound. A designated area or building where motor vehicles may be left temporarily. This term is standard in British English.
Examples
“The car park is full today.”
“We couldn't find a space in the car park, so we parked on the street instead.”
“The new supermarket features a large underground car park with direct access to the main shopping floor.”
Examples
simple
“The car park is full today.”
contextual
“We couldn't find a space in the car park, so we parked on the street instead.”
complex
“The new supermarket features a large underground car park with direct access to the main shopping floor.”
Usage
This term is common in British English; the American English equivalent is 'parking lot' or 'parking garage'.
Teaching tip
Contrast with 'parking lot' (AmE) and highlight the compound noun stress pattern: 'CAR park', not 'car PARK'.
Pitfall
carpark
car park
In standard British English, this is written as two separate words, though the single-word form is sometimes seen.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/car-park