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• round table
  round table

  noun

  a number of persons gathered together for conference, discussion of some subject, etc., and often seated at a round table.
• round-table
  round-table

  adjective

  noting or pertaining to a conference, discussion, or deliberation in which each participant has equal status, equal time to present views, etc..
• Round Table
  Round Table

  noun

  (in Arthurian legend) the table of King Arthur, shaped so that his knights could sit around it without any having precedence

round table

¹ American  

Also roundtable

noun

round tables plural

1. a number of persons gathered together for conference, discussion of some subject, etc., and often seated at a round table.

2. the discussion, topic of discussion, or the conference itself.

3. Arthurian Legend. Round Table,

   1. the table, made round to avoid quarrels as to precedence, about which King Arthur and his knights sat.

   2. King Arthur and his knights.

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round-table ² American  

[round-tey-buhl] / ˈraʊndˌteɪ bəl /

adjective

1. noting or pertaining to a conference, discussion, or deliberation in which each participant has equal status, equal time to present views, etc..

   round-table discussions.

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Round Table ¹ British  

noun

1. (in Arthurian legend) the table of King Arthur, shaped so that his knights could sit around it without any having precedence

2. Arthur and his knights collectively

3. one of an organization of clubs of young business and professional men who meet in order to further social and business activities and charitable work

4. (in New Zealand) an organization of businessmen supporting policies of the New Right

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round table ² British  

noun

1. 1. a meeting of parties or people on equal terms for discussion

   2. ( as modifier )

      a round-table conference

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• round tables
  plural

Etymology

Origin of round table¹

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300

Origin of round-table²

First recorded in 1820–30

Example Sentences

In Poland, Solidarity and Lech Wałęsa walked into the Round Table talks as the uncontested voice of the nation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 7, 2025

The portrait was made when Gandhi went to London in 1931 for the second Round Table conference, held to discuss constitutional reforms for India and address its demands for self-governance.

From BBC • Jun. 5, 2025

That fact isn’t taken lightly by locals such as Eliseo Gamiño, who heads the Central Valley Leadership Round Table, a coalition of Latino community leaders and elected officials.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 21, 2024

“The Bright Sword” distinguishes itself from more straightforward Arthurian legends by focusing on the characters on the far end of the Round Table, far from the star power of Arthur and Merlin.

From Seattle Times • May 14, 2024

I shouted from King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

From "Dead End in Norvelt" by Jack Gantos