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
In 2019, Patti Smith took on the challenge in this same auditorium, adding a new edge.
From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026
He opened with sensational breaks of 132 and 127 and looked to be in his element as he stomped around the auditorium.
From BBC • May 2, 2026
That mixture—curiosity, comfort, fun—was evident from Hagen’s seat in the ship’s auditorium, Aula, inspired by the ceremonial hall External link of the same name at the University of Oslo.
From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026
The tall arched windows were wide open, but it was still uncomfortably hot and stuffy in the Convention Hall’s auditorium, located on the corner of L and 5th Streets in Washington, D.C.
From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple
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.
