# Peoria

/piˈɔɹiə/ (US) · CEFR C2 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/peoria
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Definition

a city in the United States that people often use to represent a typical, average town. If something is popular there, people believe it will be popular everywhere in the country.

For teachers: a city in Illinois frequently used in American idioms to represent the mainstream or average consumer base. Often appears in the rhetorical question 'Will it play in Peoria?' to gauge the broad appeal of a product or idea.

## Examples

- The marketing team wants to see if the new ad works in Peoria.
- Politicians often test their speeches in places like Peoria to ensure their message resonates with middle-class voters.

## Usage notes

- When used as a cultural reference, it is almost always preceded by 'in'.

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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.