rotunda

noun

ro·​tun·​da rō-ˈtən-də How to pronounce rotunda (audio)
1
: a round building
especially : one covered by a dome
2
a
: a large round room
b
: a large central area (as in a hotel)

Examples of rotunda in a Sentence

We stood inside the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol Building.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The 2024 ornament depicts the mosaics and mural at the top of the dome, which many visitors and school groups photograph or admire while laying down on the floor of the rotunda. Hope Karnopp, Journal Sentinel, 12 Dec. 2024 In response to the slew of actions, protesters sent more than 48,000 colorful paper hearts raining down from the fourth floor of the Statehouse to the first-floor rotunda on Tuesday, KTVB-TV reported. San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2024 Gaetz met with Cornyn and other Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee in the Capitol’s Strom Thurmond Room just off the rotunda Wednesday. Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 21 Nov. 2024 The official medallion ceremony includes the unveiling of a bronze plaque that will hang in the museum’s rotunda, alongside the renderings of its existing 152 members, including Hank Williams, Willie Nelson and Reba McEntire. Tom Roland, Billboard, 16 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for rotunda 

Word History

Etymology

Italian rotonda, from Latin rotunda, feminine of rotundus

First Known Use

circa 1566, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of rotunda was circa 1566

Dictionary Entries Near rotunda

Cite this Entry

“Rotunda.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rotunda. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

rotunda

noun
ro·​tun·​da rō-ˈtən-də How to pronounce rotunda (audio)
1
: a round building
especially : one covered by a dome
2
a
: a large round room
b
: a large central area (as in a hotel)

Medical Definition

rotunda

More from Merriam-Webster on rotunda

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!