auditorium

noun

au·​di·​to·​ri·​um ˌȯ-də-ˈtȯr-ē-əm 

plural auditoriums or auditoria ˌȯ-də-ˈtȯr-ē-ə 

1

: the part of a public building where an audience sits

2

: a room, hall, or building used for public gatherings

Synonyms

• amphitheater
• arena
• garden
• hall
• theater
• theatre

Examples of auditorium in a Sentence

will hold the town meeting in the high school auditorium

Recent Examples on the Web

Nestled in cafes, bars, and school auditoriums are poets finding ways to reach new audiences through performative techniques revived for the modern era. —David Silverberg, JSTOR Daily, 29 Jan. 2025

The course was held in a small auditorium that fit close to 40 students. —Rustin Dodd, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025

The soft murmur of a few dozen conversations lingered outside a small auditorium named after Lyndon Baines Johnson, the 36th president who overhauled the way Americans pay for college. —Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 18 Jan. 2025

At noon, the crowd filed into the auditorium, where the brick stood onstage in a glass case. —Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin audītōrium "lecture room, hall, body of listeners," from audīre "to hear" + -tōrium, suffix of places, from neuter of -tōrius, deverbal adjective suffix — more at audible entry 1, auditory entry 2

First Known Use

1640, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

auditorium

noun

au·​di·​to·​ri·​um ˌȯd-ə-ˈtōr-ē-əm 

-ˈtȯr-

1

: the part of a public building where an audience sits

2

: a room, hall, or building used for public gatherings