rotunda

noun

ro·​tun·​da rō-ˈtən-də 

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

The names of Medal of Honor recipients are engraved around a rotunda called the Ring of Valor, and their photos cover the museum's walls. —Julie Depenbrock, NPR, 31 Mar. 2025

The former West Wing adviser wore a Dior dark forest green skirt suit with a thin black belt and a coordinating beret-style hat to the Inauguration ceremony at the U.S. Capitol’s rotunda. —Rosemary Feitelberg, WWD, 22 Jan. 2025

In the aftermath of the rotunda altercation, police apprehended Stewart, leading him back downstairs to a room by the visitor center. —Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 28 Mar. 2025

The popular 18th century-era panopticon design, for example, emphasized surveillance and control, pointing all prison cells towards a central rotunda from where they could be easily observed. —Abdallah Fayyad, Vox, 7 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Italian rotonda, from Latin rotunda, feminine of rotundus

First Known Use

circa 1566, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing rotunda

• fenestra rotunda

Rhymes for rotunda

• lunda
• munda

Kids Definition

rotunda

noun

ro·​tun·​da rō-ˈtən-də 

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

see fenestra rotunda