rotunda
Americannoun
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a round building, especially one with a dome.
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a large and high circular hall or room in a building, especially one surmounted by a dome.
noun
Etymology
Origin of rotunda
1680–90; alteration of Italian rotonda, noun use of feminine of rotondo < Latin rotundus rotund
Explanation
When making the plans for your new house, consider adding a rotunda, or a round room. It will give the house a grand appearance and also allow you to walk in circles as much as you please. You may have heard the adjective rotund to describe a person with a round shape. Rotunda, with an -a at the end, is a noun that refers to a type of building or room that is round and often has a dome on top. Rotundas are often found as part of large, important buildings such as capitol buildings and museums.
Vocabulary lists containing rotunda
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library
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Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
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Vocabulary Video Contest (2013) - List 1
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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.
To “lie in honor” is a rare ceremonial distinction granted to private citizens whose remains are placed in the Capitol Rotunda for public viewing.
From Salon • Feb. 21, 2026
The iconic Rotunda, which holds the original Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights, is unchanged.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 5, 2026
“It just was kind of a slow trickle, you know, a lot of us had heard about this years ago,” he said while sitting in the Rotunda of the Capitol.
From Slate • Nov. 12, 2025
“With these actions, we will begin the complete restoration of America and the revolution of common sense,” Trump said during his inauguration speech in the Capitol Rotunda.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 20, 2025
Clarence and Clement, the beefy twins who headed up security for the Lemoncello Library, marched into the Rotunda Reading Room flanked by six robotic carts loaded down with United States Postal Service mail bins.
From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein
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.
