agora
1 Americannoun
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a popular political assembly.
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the place where such an assembly met, originally a marketplace or public square.
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the Agora, the chief marketplace of Athens, center of the city's civic life.
noun
noun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of agora1
First recorded in 1590–1600; from Greek agorā́ “assembly (of the common people, not the nobility), marketplace,” derivative of ageírein “to gather together”
Origin of agora2
First recorded in 1960–65; from Hebrew ăgōrāh “coin, payment,” from āgār “to hire”
Explanation
In ancient Greek city-states, an agora was an important meeting place. The agora was used as a market, but it was also the primary location for gathering with friends, discussing politics, and observing religious ceremonies. The agora of ancient Athens is often credited as the birthplace of democracy, since it was where philosophers first debated and discussed those concepts. Like agoras in other parts of Greece, it was the center of Athenian life. It served as the city-state's main marketplace, courtroom, polling place, and location for business meetings. The Greek agora means "an assembly of the people," from a root meaning "to gather."
Vocabulary lists containing agora
Ancient Greece - Introductory
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Ancient Greece - Middle School and High School
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Chapter 7: The Ancient Greeks
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"At the current rate of reduction, there will still be a climate protection gap with regard to 2030," said the study from Agora Energiewende.
From Barron's • Jan. 7, 2026
Doja Cat last went on tour in 2023 in support of her fourth studio album Scarlet, which featured hit songs including Paint The Town Red and Agora Hills.
From BBC • Nov. 20, 2025
Agora Energiewende researchers found that Asian nations are united in their heavy reliance on fossil fuels and national plans are not aligned with ambitious climate pledges announced by their governments.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 14, 2023
The heat map created by Johns Hopkins University's SNF Agora Institute, reveals patterns of inequality in civic opportunity tied to race, class, immigration status and education.
From Science Daily • Nov. 13, 2023
In the Agora and in the Cerameicus they talked of nothing but Simalion's new love.
From Sónnica by Blasco Ibáñez, Vicente
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
