symposium
Americannoun
-
a meeting or conference for the discussion of some subject, especially a meeting at which several speakers talk on or discuss a topic before an audience.
-
a collection of opinions expressed or articles contributed by several persons on a given subject or topic.
-
an account of a discussion meeting or of the conversation at it.
-
(in ancient Greece and Rome) a convivial meeting, usually following a dinner, for drinking and intellectual conversation.
-
(initial capital letter, italics) a philosophical dialogue (4th century b.c.) by Plato, dealing with ideal love and the vision of absolute beauty.
noun
-
a conference or meeting for the discussion of some subject, esp an academic topic or social problem
-
a collection of scholarly contributions, usually published together, on a given subject
-
(in classical Greece) a drinking party with intellectual conversation, music, etc
Etymology
Origin of symposium
1580–90; < Latin < Greek sympósion drinking party, equivalent to sym- sym- + po- (variant stem of pī́nein to drink) + -sion noun suffix
Explanation
A symposium is a public meeting about a topic in which people give presentations. If your knitting club holds a symposium, various knitters will give presentations about anything having to do with knitting. A symposium can be a one-time conference or a regular meeting, but it will probably include some amount of discussion or public speeches on a particular subject. Many people who attend symposiums will be part of the audience for many of the presentations, but during the course of the event, give their own presentation or be part of a panel discussion.
Vocabulary lists containing symposium
Ancient Greece - Introductory
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
National Spelling Bee '14: Prelims Round 3
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Ancient Greece - Middle School and High School
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Fed officials making comments include governor Stephen Miran speaking at a financial system symposium at 6:20 p.m.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026
Alito, the court’s second-oldest member, felt ill during the March 20 dinner, which followed a Federalist Society symposium celebrating his 20 years on the bench.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
Yin is also organizing a symposium on the Ithaca campus scheduled for March 3-5, 2026.
From Science Daily • Dec. 24, 2025
Newsom has been in Brazil since Sunday, beginning with a global climate investors symposium in São Paulo before flying roughly 1,800 miles north to Belém for the United Nations climate summit known as COP30.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 12, 2025
A year later, at a Geneva symposium sponsored by CERN, Ernest ran into Stan Livingston.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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.
