auditorium
Americannoun
plural
auditoriums, auditoria-
the space set apart for the audience in a theater, school, or other public building.
-
a building for public gatherings; hall.
noun
-
the area of a concert hall, theatre, school, etc, in which the audience sits
-
a building for public gatherings or meetings
Etymology
Origin of auditorium
Explanation
Whenever you check out a concert or a play, you sit in an auditorium — that is, the section of a theater or concert hall reserved for the audience. You can try sitting on the stage, but you'll probably be thrown out. Sometimes auditorium refers to the whole building where performances take place, not just the area for the audience. As the spelling of the word suggests, it's related to the word auditory, meaning "something related to hearing." In fact, auditorium is a Latin term meaning "a place where something is heard," — and of course, as high school and college students know all too well, that can mean lectures as well as concerts or plays.
Vocabulary lists containing auditorium
Common Senses: Aud ("Hear")
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Unit 1: Telling Details
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aud
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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.
In the early afternoon, former Georgia Rep. Stacey Abrams spoke with moderator Leigh Haber about artificial intelligence and voter suppression in front of an enthusiastic, packed crowd at USC’s Bovard Auditorium.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 18, 2026
Times Book Prizes, held Friday at Bovard Auditorium, recognize 61 works across 13 categories in addition to two achievement awards.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026
Before moving to the Hollywood neighbourhood of Los Angeles, the Oscars for years were held in a central location at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and Shrine Auditorium.
From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026
Following its split with the Kennedy Center, the company has ably adapted to George Washington University’s Lisner Auditorium, where it is presenting a gripping staging of Robert Ward’s version of the Arthur Miller classic.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026
He would go to the Auditorium where the people would be gathered, still.
From "The Giver" by Lois Lowry
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.
