athenaeum

or ath·e·ne·um

[ ath-uh-nee-uhm, -ney- ]
See synonyms for athenaeum on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. an institution for the promotion of literary or scientific learning.

  2. a library or reading room.

  1. (initial capital letter) a sanctuary of Athena at Athens, built by the Roman emperor Hadrian, and frequented by poets and scholars.

Origin of athenaeum

1
1720–30; <Latin <Greek Athḗnaion temple of Athena, where poets read their works

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use athenaeum in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for athenaeum (1 of 2)

athenaeum

US atheneum

/ (ˌæθɪˈniːəm) /


noun
  1. an institution for the promotion of learning

  2. a building containing a reading room or library, esp one used by such an institution

Origin of athenaeum

1
C18: from Late Latin, from Greek Athēnaion temple of Athene, frequented by poets and teachers

British Dictionary definitions for Athenaeum (2 of 2)

Athenaeum

sometimes US Atheneum

/ (ˌæθɪˈniːəm) /


noun
  1. (in ancient Greece) a building sacred to the goddess Athena, esp the Athenian temple that served as a gathering place for the learned

  2. (in imperial Rome) the academy of learning established near the Forum in about 135 ad by Hadrian

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012