auditorium
Americannoun
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the space set apart for the audience in a theater, school, or other public building.
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a building for public gatherings; hall.
noun
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the area of a concert hall, theatre, school, etc, in which the audience sits
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a building for public gatherings or meetings
Other Word Forms
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.
Passengers were shimmying in practically every nook and cranny in the auditorium.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026
He added that theater excels at getting audiences to laugh in the auditorium, and then mull things over on the way home.
From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026
Over on the other side of the auditorium, Barry Hawkins shared the opening six frames of a high-quality contest with Northern Ireland's Mark Allen.
From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026
But to my great surprise, the conversations surrounding the movie, both online and in-person as viewers exited the auditorium and spoke with their friends outside the theater, have been thoughtful and nuanced.
From Salon • Apr. 9, 2026
While he does that, I glance around the auditorium.
From "Shine!" by J.J. and 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.
