town hall

noun

1

: a public building used for town-government offices and meetings

2

: an event at which a public official or political candidate addresses an audience by answering questions posed by individual members

Town halls have lost some of their spontaneity. The 80 or so undecided voters chosen for Tuesday's event must submit their questions in advance and moderator Candy Crowley of CNN will decide which people to call on.

—Connie Cass

Examples of town hall in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Perfunctory measures like rerouting the line from one location to another or holding a few more town hall meetings will fail to resolve the fundamental problems associated with this project. —Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 20 Dec. 2024

All is revealed at a big town hall event, full of heart, warmth, and a few laughs along the way. —Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 19 Dec. 2024

Willis previously made the news in 2021, when he was arrested after a fight that broke out during a Porter town hall meeting at a park in Irvine. —Laura J. Nelson, Los Angeles Times, 17 Dec. 2024

Asked about the test, Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos at a Brooklyn town hall said the school system is in the process of opening more high-quality schools. —Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 12 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

town hall

noun

: a public building used for offices and meetings of town government