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third place. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
third place, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
third place in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
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English
Etymology
Coined by American urban sociologist Ray Oldenburg in 1989.
Noun
third place (plural third places)
- (urban studies, sociology) A social space separate from the two usual social environments of home (“first place”) and the workplace (“second place”), such as a bar or public library.
- Synonym: third space
2018 September 4, Elle Hunt, “Tell us about your 'third place' – where you connect with your community”, in The Guardian:The “third place” is a public, social place where you spend time that is neither home nor work. Whether it is publicly run, like a library, or a commercial venture, it is, above all, shared – a site of community-building and interaction with others.
2025 June 14, Gregory Meyer, “Starbucks hopes to achieve much needed caffeine boost by hiring more baristas”, in FT Weekend, Companies & Markets, page 11:The rise of mobile and drive-through along with lives lived online raises questions about the role of coffee houses as a “third place” where people find community.
- Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see third, place.
Further reading