mercantile establishment consisting of a carefully landscaped complex of shops representing leading merchandisers; usually includes restaurants and a convenient parking area; a modern version of the traditional marketplace
"a good plaza should have a movie house"
"they spent their weekends at the local malls"
A town's public square.
"We gathered at the plaza to watch the street performers during the festival."
In plain English: A plaza is an open public square or town square, often surrounded by buildings and used for walking or gathering.
"We sat on a bench in the city plaza to watch people walking by."
Usage: Use plaza to describe an open public square in a city or town, often surrounded by buildings and used for gatherings. Do not confuse it with a private courtyard or an indoor shopping center unless specifically referring to the outdoor urban space.
A surname, from Spanish​.
"When I met my new colleague at the conference, he introduced himself as Mr. Plaza, noting that his family name is actually of Spanish origin."
The word plaza comes from the Spanish term for a town square or central gathering place. It ultimately traces back to Ancient Greek, where it originally described a broad road.