boulevard

noun

bou·​le·​vard ˈbu̇-lə-ˌvärd 

ˈbü-,

 also  ˈbə-

: a broad often landscaped thoroughfare

Synonyms

• arterial
• artery
• avenue
• carriageway [British]
• drag
• drive
• expressway
• freeway
• high road
• highway
• pass
• pike
• road
• roadway
• route
• row
• street
• thoroughfare
• thruway
• trace
• turnpike
• way

Examples of boulevard in a Sentence

the city is celebrated for its broad, tree-lined boulevards

Recent Examples on the Web

Halfway between the boulevard and the beach—only a few blocks—one such historic home is an apt example of how much of the neighborhood’s essence has been preserved. —Spencer Elliott, Forbes, 4 Sep. 2024

The City Council took a first step this week toward imposing new restrictions on RVs in residential areas, on commercial boulevards and near schools. —David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2024

The boulevard and side streets are loitered by similar ilk, particularly in front of six bodegas. —Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 30 July 2024

The Paris version of the Olympic Park essentially consists of historical monuments and landmarks—plus its famous diagonal boulevards and alluring side streets—on both sides of the Seine. —Sean Gregory / Paris, TIME, 28 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

French, modification of Middle Dutch bolwerc bulwark

First Known Use

1763, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

boulevard

noun

bou·​le·​vard ˈbu̇l-ə-ˌvärd 

ˈbül-

: a wide avenue often having grass strips with trees along its center or sides

Etymology

from French boulevard "walkway lined with trees," derived from early Dutch bolwerc "bulwark, rampart"; so called because the earliest boulevards were at sites of razed fortifications — related to bulwark