civic center

noun

1. a building complex housing a theater or theaters for the performing arts and sometimes exhibition halls, a museum, etc., and usually constructed or maintained by municipal funds.

2. a building or building complex containing a municipality's administrative offices, various departmental headquarters, courts, etc., and sometimes an auditorium, libraries, or other community or cultural facilities.

3. a theater, meeting hall, or the like for community or public use.

Word History and Origins

Origin of civic center¹

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

On weekdays, the lunch and happy hour crowds tend to be city and county workers from the nearby civic center.

From Los Angeles Times

“A civic center is more than a collection of buildings,” Rosenfeld said.

From Los Angeles Times

After a couple of minutes, it lifted off heading for an immense plume of smoke billowing above the civic center.

From Los Angeles Times

But a civic center isn’t just a commercial destination.

From Los Angeles Times

Supervisor Janice Hahn voted against the purchase, telling her colleagues she was concerned about the fate of the downtown civic center if the Hall of Administration shut down.

From Los Angeles Times