auditorium

[aw-di-tawr-ee-uh m, -tohr-]

See more synonyms for auditorium on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural au·di·to·ri·ums, au·di·to·ri·a

[aw-di-tawr-ee-uh, -tohr-] /ˌɔ dɪˈtɔr i ə, -ˈtoʊr-/.

the space set apart for the audience in a theater, school, or other public building.
a building for public gatherings; hall.

Origin of auditorium

1720–30; < Latin: lecture hall; see auditor, -tory²

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for auditorium

theater, amphitheater, hall, barn, playhouse

Examples from the Web for auditorium

Contemporary Examples of auditorium

Your first big splash was in Cape Fear, and that auditorium scene between you and De Niro is beyond creepy to this day.
Juliette Lewis on Hollywood, Why the MSM Hates Scientology, and Masturbating to George Clooney
Marlow Stern
September 19, 2014
A local Dad joked sotto voce to his wife “And afterwards there will be a reception who will be in the auditorium!”
The Problem With Weird Al’s ‘Word Crimes’ Video
John McWhorter
July 23, 2014
Being a true fan in a convention center, a stadium, an auditorium—that takes dedication, time and money.
How ‘Battlestar Galactica,’ ‘Game of Thrones,’ and FanFiction Conquered Pop Culture
Arthur Chu
May 6, 2014
There will be 15 auditorium style classrooms, each with a capacity for 700 students.
Italy Plans a Disneyland for Foodies
Barbie Latza Nadeau
March 16, 2014
Yet at my own institute every science program we put on fills up a 3,000-person auditorium with paying members of the public.
The New 'Cosmos' Reboot Marks a Promising New Era for Science
Lawrence M. Krauss
March 10, 2014

Historical Examples of auditorium

He was running all over the auditorium testing your voice with one of his gadgets.
The Second Voice
Mann Rubin
The laboratory was on the Northern rim of the field, a ten-minute drive from the auditorium.
The Second Voice
Mann Rubin
In the car, during the ride to the auditorium, he did not speak.
The Second Voice
Mann Rubin
They entered the auditorium and stood for a moment looking about the theatre.
Changing Winds
St. John G. Ervine
She was leaning on the edge of the box, and looking about the auditorium.
Changing Winds
St. John G. Ervine

British Dictionary definitions for auditorium

auditorium

noun plural -toriums or -toria (-ˈtɔːrɪə)

the area of a concert hall, theatre, school, etc, in which the audience sits
US and Canadian a building for public gatherings or meetings

Word Origin for auditorium

C17: from Latin: a judicial examination, from audītōrius concerning a hearing; see auditory

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

Word Origin and History for auditorium

1727, from Latin auditorium "lecture room," literally "place where something is heard," neuter of auditorius (adj.) "of or for hearing," from auditus, past participle of audire "to hear" (see audience); also see -ory. Earlier in the same sense was auditory (late 14c.).