# mall

/ˈmɔɫ/ (US) · /mˈæl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/mall
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. shopping centre

noun · CEFR A2 · American English

a large building or covered area that has many different shops and restaurants inside it.

For teachers: a large, usually enclosed, commercial complex containing various retail stores, restaurants, and entertainment facilities.

- We spent the whole Saturday afternoon at the mall buying new clothes for school.
- The developers transformed the derelict industrial site into a multi-level shopping mall featuring high-end boutiques and a cinema complex.

Teaching tip: While 'mall' is the standard term in American English, British English speakers usually prefer 'shopping centre'.

### 2. pedestrian walkway

noun · CEFR B2

a wide path or street for people to walk on, where cars are not allowed.

For teachers: a public walk or promenade, often shaded by trees, or a pedestrianised street in a city centre.

- The city turned the main street into a pedestrian mall with benches and trees.
- The historic district features a wide, tree-lined mall that serves as a gathering place for tourists and local street performers.

### 3. to visit the mall

verb · CEFR C1 · Informal · American English

to spend time shopping or hanging out at a shopping mall.

For teachers: to frequent or shop at a shopping mall; often carries a connotation of leisure or socialising rather than purposeful shopping.

- The teenagers like to mall on Friday nights after their homework is done.
- The study observed how suburban youth tend to mall as a primary form of social engagement during the winter months.

Teaching tip: This verbal use is quite informal and is mostly used when talking about youth culture or social habits.

## Examples

- We are going to the mall to buy new shoes.
- The local mall is always crowded on Saturday afternoons because teenagers gather there to hang out.
- The decline of the traditional suburban mall has forced developers to rethink these massive spaces, often converting them into mixed-use facilities with apartments and offices.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.