aquarium

American  

[uh-kwair-ee-uhm] / əˈkwɛər i əm /

noun

aquariums, plural aquaria plural

1. a glass-sided tank, bowl, or the like, in which fish or other living aquatic animals or plants are kept.

2. a building or institution in which fish or other aquatic animals or plants are kept for exhibit, study, etc.

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aquarium British  

/ əˈkwɛərɪəm /

noun

1. a tank, bowl, or pool in which aquatic animals and plants are kept for pleasure, study, or exhibition

2. a building housing a collection of aquatic life, as for exhibition

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• aquarial
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• aquaria
  plural
• aquariums
  plural

Etymology

Origin of aquarium

1840–50; blend of Latin aquārius of or for water ( aqu ( a ) water + -ārius -ary ) and vivarium; cf. -arium

Explanation

Aquarium can either describe a small tank, or an entire building that houses fish and other aquatic life. Your goldfish will probably feel right at home in the aquarium that's sitting on your desk, but a whale would be better off in a big aquarium where people buy tickets to see marine life. An aquarium can be small enough to fit in the average house, or big enough to house whales and accommodate millions of tourists each year. If you're talking about more than one of those tanks filled with fish and other marine life, you could say aquariums, but aquaria, from the original Latin term, is also an acceptable plural.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

aquarium aquaria aquariums

The findings carry an important warning for pet owners, natural resource managers, and policymakers: while goldfish are common household pets, they can become a significant ecological threat outside the aquarium.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 26, 2026

The authors also stress the need for stronger public education efforts so pet owners understand the environmental consequences of releasing aquarium animals into natural waterways.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 26, 2026

About 1,500 events take place at American Dream every year, from school-group aquarium visits to the New Jersey governor’s inaugural ball and JonasCon—a one-day fanfest starring the brothers themselves.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026

They were filmed on arrival at Perth airport, splashed across front pages and followed to golf courses and even on a trip to an aquarium.

From BBC ● May 29, 2026

He even starts to teach me how to stall the ball on my shoulder blades and on my forehead, too, like a sea lion doing tricks at the aquarium.

From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina

To answer that question, genetically modified sea anemones were moved from laboratory aquaria into outdoor marine mesocosms supplied with natural estuarine water in South Carolina.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 30, 2026

Herbert reached out to the Lepas expert Anne Marie Power at the University of Galway in Ireland, who signed on to raise live L. anatifera in aquaria to establish shell chemistry for different temperatures.

From National Geographic ● Aug. 23, 2023

We distributed many of them to other aquaria to raise awareness about this species.

From Slate ● Dec. 10, 2022

Other researchers caution that the new study only shows isopods can pollinate algae in laboratory aquaria; it’s not yet known whether they are efficient at this in nature.

From Science Magazine ● Jul. 27, 2022

In her laboratory, six saltwater aquaria gurgle reassuringly; on the back wall stand three cabinets with four hundred drawers in each, salvaged years ago from the office of Dr. Geffard.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr

Wealthy homeowners are spending big to install and maintain aquariums that look like living, three-dimensional art pieces.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 14, 2026

The study analyzed records from 117 mammal species living in zoos and aquariums worldwide and combined them with a meta-analysis of 71 previously published studies.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 16, 2026

In fact, their diets at the aquariums had to be scaled back because the fish were getting “chubby,” said Dagit, of the conservation district.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2025

"The new standards are a significant step up in legal requirements and cement Britain's position as a global leader for zoos and aquariums", she said.

From BBC ● May 24, 2025

“Was she like Fred? I mean, did she always keep aquariums and hang out in gross places?”

From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen