colloquium

American  

[kuh-loh-kwee-uhm] / kəˈloʊ kwi əm /

noun

plural

colloquiums, colloquia

1. a conference at which scholars or other experts present papers on, analyze, and discuss a specific topic.

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colloquium British  

/ kəˈləʊkwɪəm /

noun

1. an informal gathering for discussion

2. an academic seminar

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Etymology

Origin of colloquium

1600–10; < Latin, equivalent to colloqu ( ī ) ( col- col- ¹ + loquī to speak) + -ium -ium

Example Sentences

The first recorded Scottish Parliament in 1235 was known as a colloquium, a place of conversation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025

“A new role we will see is Chief Longevity Officer,” Waterhouse said at the University of Maine Center on Aging’s colloquium, “Work & Wellness for Older Adults.”

From MarketWatch • Nov. 18, 2025

Abu Sitta had been invited by France’s left-wing Ecologists group in the Senate to speak at a colloquium Saturday about the situation in Gaza, according to the Senate press service.

From Seattle Times • May 5, 2024

I discovered "Suburban Warriors" during a graduate school colloquium, and as I read it, I said, this doesn't sound like the conservatism I grew up with in Boston in the 1970s and early '80s.

From Salon • Feb. 9, 2022

The give-and-take of scientific discussion was fostered by another Lawrence innovation: the Journal Club, a weekly colloquium to which all the Rad Lab staff and visitors from other departments were invited.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik