What does bazar mean?
A bazar is a market — either a permanent marketplace or street lined with shops, particularly in the Middle East and South Asia, or a temporary sale of assorted goods, frequently organized to raise money for charity. The spelling "bazar" is a recognized variant of the more common "bazaar," and both derive from the Persian word for a marketplace. In English usage, the word evokes bustling rows of stalls, haggling merchants, and colorful wares such as carpets, spices, and textiles, giving it a distinctly exotic and historical connotation. It also appears in the context of church fêtes and charity sales, where volunteers sell donated items for a good cause. Writers should note that "bazar" is easily confused with the unrelated adjective "bizarre," meaning strange or odd. Though less common today than its double-a counterpart, "bazar" remains a perfectly correct and evocative choice, especially in travel writing and historical fiction.
nounA variant spelling of "bazaar": a market or street of shops, especially one in the Middle East or South Asia, or a sale of goods, often for charity.
- A marketplace or row of shops, especially in the Middle East or South Asia.
- A sale of miscellaneous goods, often held to raise money for charity.
"The old city's covered bazar was crowded with merchants selling carpets and spices."
"We wandered through the bazar, haggling over brass lanterns and hand-woven rugs."
"The church's annual bazar raised funds for the local food bank."
The plural follows regular English noun inflection; "bazaars" is the plural of the more common spelling.
"Travelers described the bazars of Samarkand in glowing terms."
The word traveled from Persian markets into English centuries ago — and along the way it picked up a lookalike twin, "bizarre," that has nothing to do with shopping at all.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of bazar
The word entered English in the late sixteenth or early seventeenth century from Persian "bāzār," meaning marketplace, likely via Turkish or Italian intermediaries. It spread widely across languages of the Middle East, Central Asia, and beyond, reflecting the importance of covered markets in trade along historic routes. English adopted both "bazaar" and the variant "bazar," with the former becoming standard. Despite its resemblance, the adjective "bizarre" has a separate origin and is not related.
How bazar is actually used
"Bazar" is a legitimate but less frequent spelling than "bazaar"; most modern dictionaries treat it as a variant. The word carries a slightly exotic, old-world flavor in English and appears often in historical or travel writing.
Easily confused with bazar
"Bazar" means a market, while "bizarre" is an adjective meaning strange or unusual.
"Bazaar" is the standard modern spelling of the market word; "bazar" is an accepted but less common variant.