forum

noun

fo·​rum ˈfȯr-əm How to pronounce forum (audio)
plural forums also fora ˈfȯr-ə How to pronounce forum (audio)
1
a
: the marketplace or public place of an ancient Roman city forming the center of judicial and public business
b
: a public meeting place for open discussion
The club provides a forum for people interested in local history.
c
: a medium (such as a newspaper or online service) of open discussion or expression of ideas
2
: a judicial body or assembly : court
3
a
: a public meeting or lecture involving audience discussion
The town has scheduled a public forum to discuss the proposal.
b
: a program (as on radio or television) involving discussion of a problem usually by several authorities

Examples of forum in a Sentence

Forums were held to determine how to handle the situation. The town has scheduled a public forum to discuss the proposal. The club provides a forum for people who share an interest in local history.
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.
Organizing the forum was a monumental task, as Brown handled everything himself—from recruiting speakers to managing logistics. Afdhel Aziz, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024 In September, Beijing became coordinator of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty’s P5 process, a forum of the five original nuclear weapons states—China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States—designed so those countries could jointly discuss their responsibilities. William M. Moon, Foreign Affairs, 5 Nov. 2024 The industry forum welcomed more than 3,000 delegates and 800-plus media were accredited to the LFF and attended press & industry screenings of 159 films. Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Nov. 2024 Over 815 filmmakers, XR artists and creatives from around the world presented work at the festival, and its industry forum had 3,000 delegates. Ellise Shafer, Variety, 4 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for forum 

Word History

Etymology

Latin; akin to Latin foris outside, fores door — more at door

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of forum was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near forum

Cite this Entry

“Forum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forum. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

forum

noun
fo·​rum ˈfōr-əm How to pronounce forum (audio)
ˈfȯr-
plural forums also fora -ə How to pronounce forum (audio)
1
: the marketplace or public place of an ancient Roman city serving as the center of public business
2
: a means (as a newspaper or online service) of open discussion or expression of ideas
3
: a meeting or program involving discussion

Legal Definition

forum

noun
fo·​rum ˈfō-rəm How to pronounce forum (audio)
1
2
a
: a judicial body or assembly : court
allowed the defendant in a state court action to choose the federal forum by removing the caseM. H. Redish
b
: the territorial jurisdiction of a court
due process requires defendant to have minimum level of contacts with forum before personal jurisdiction may be exercisedNational Law Journal

More from Merriam-Webster on forum

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