audience

American  

[aw-dee-uhns] / ˈɔ di əns /

noun

audiences plural

1. the group of spectators at a public event; listeners or viewers collectively, as in attendance at a theater or concert.

   The audience was respectful of the speaker's opinion.

2. the persons reached by a book, radio or television broadcast, etc.; public.

   Some works of music have a wide and varied audience.

3. a regular public that manifests interest, support, enthusiasm, or the like; a following.

   Every art form has its audience.

4. opportunity to be heard; chance to speak to or before a person or group; a hearing.

5. a formal interview with a sovereign, high officer of government, or other high-ranking person.

   an audience with the pope.

6. the act of hearing, or attending to, words or sounds.

---

audience British  

/ ˈɔːdɪəns /

noun

1. a group of spectators or listeners, esp at a public event such as a concert or play

2. the people reached by a book, film, or radio or television programme

3. the devotees or followers of a public entertainer, lecturer, etc; regular public

4. an opportunity to put one's point of view, such as a formal interview with a monarch or head of state

---

Grammar

See collective noun.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• proaudience
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• audiences
  plural

Etymology

Origin of audience

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin audientia “act of listening, group of listeners,” from audient-, stem of audiēns “hearing” (present participle of audīre “to hear”) + -ia -ia ( def. )

Explanation

An audience can be people watching a performance, or an opportunity to speak with someone important, like an audience with your favorite actor at a "meet and greet" event. The noun audience can describe all the people watching a performance, or the part of the general public interested in a specific type of information or entertainment. For example, the audience for a show about raising children might be parents or other care-givers. Finally, an audience can be a meeting or interview, like an audience with your school's principal.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

audience audiences

I’ve been in search of that my entire life—not the attention my dad received but the pure emotional connection between an artist and audience.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

Rather, he was sitting in the audience of a local dance recital, waiting on his two young daughters, Sloan and Stella, who were each making their solo dancing debut with their company.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh has previously suggested if the bout were staged in Britain, it would have to start in the early hours of the morning to cater for the lucrative American television audience.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

The platform given to Waters by the Heritage Foundation is prominent, but despite the efforts of The New York Times, her intended audience doesn’t seem to be interested.

From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026

“So here’s my challenge to you,” Natalie said to the audience.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz

"Generative AI enables disinformation to be created at unprecedented scale, tailored to specific audiences, and disseminated with remarkable speed," an EU official said.

From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026

Such controversies highlight the delicate balance facing brands hoping to attract younger audiences without alienating their core, longstanding customer base.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

NBCUniversal’s Peacock turns a profit for the first time, boosted by audiences tuning into the World Cup and “Love Island.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026

The Swedish singer Zara Larsson released her debut album more than a decade ago, but she’s finally won over American audiences with the hedonistic trance-pop of “Midnight Sun.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026

Members of Parliament were being confronted with the reality of slavery, just as audiences at Clarkson’s lectures were when he showed shackles and whips.

From "Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom, and Science" by Marc Aronson

Related Words

• congregation
• crowd
• gallery
• gathering
• market
• public