the marketplace or public square of an ancient Roman city, the center of judicial and business affairs and a place of assembly for the people.
a court or tribunal.
the forum of public opinion.
an assembly, meeting place, television program, etc., for the discussion of questions of public interest.
Also called online forum,. Also called internet forum,. Also called web forum. message board.
the Forum, the forum in the ancient city of Rome.
a meeting or assembly for the open discussion of subjects of public interest
a medium for open discussion, such as a magazine
a public meeting place for open discussion
a court; tribunal
(in South Africa) a pressure group of leaders or representatives, esp Black leaders or representatives
(in ancient Italy) an open space, usually rectangular in shape, serving as a city's marketplace and centre of public business
Plural word for forum The plural form of forum can be either forums or fora. Forums is more widely used. The plurals of several other singular words that end in -um are formed in this way, including gum/gums, possum/possums, or geranium/geraniums. Irregular plurals that are formed like fora, such as curriculum/curricula and memorandum/memoranda, derive directly from their original pluralization in Latin. However, the standard English plural -s ending is often also acceptable for these terms, as in curriculums and memorandums.
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Latin: “marketplace, public place,” akin to forīs, forās “outside,” foris door
A forum is a public discussion. It can refer to a meeting, a meeting house or any conversation that is available publicly. There were forums — large public gathering places — in Ancient Rome; they can still be found across the globe. Traditionally, newspapers were thought of as forums for public discussions but more and more forums are virtual — discussion boards found online. Communities, however, still hold their own forums, or meetings, usually to discuss local issues. When you see the word forum, think public conversation.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The incident at Scarborough Shoal, which took place during an attempt to resupply Filipino fishermen, came as top diplomats wrapped up a Southeast Asian regional forum in Manila.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
The forum, which the BBC has chosen not to name due to its nature, was the first service to be investigated by the regulator under the UK's online safety laws.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
"We'll continue to monitor the forum closely to check the geoblock remains in place," she said.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
Perez, who has operated Trump's teleprompter since 2016, made bets on speeches including the State of the Union address in February, remarks to the Davos forum in Switzerland and a December primetime address, ABC said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 16, 2026
I made a mental note to shake his hand after the forum.
From "The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora" by Pablo Cartaya
“There are no American bases in Jordan. We have American troops that are in Jordan as part of our long-standing military cooperation,” he said at the Aspen Security Forum earlier this month.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
The SFRS, in conjunction with the Scottish Wildfire Forum, issued warnings for the central Highlands, southern and eastern Scotland.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
The USB Implementers Forum maintains a rigorous certification process for products—from laptops and cellphones to chargers and electric toothbrushes—bearing the USB logo, says Jeff Ravencraft, USB-IF’s president and chief operations officer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
China's Pacific envoy had days earlier met with the Pacific Islands Forum, after Beijing donated $1 million to the regional bloc, but made no mention of a looming test.
From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026
Bobby: Is it bad we’re keeping the Forum just for us?
From "The Misfits" by James Howe
"The Pacific Island countries are constantly bearing the burden of coming to other fora and trying to get their voice heard."
From Barron's ● Apr. 30, 2026
There is then a segment that is a little warmer towards Beijing: "We will engage directly with China bilaterally and in international fora so that we leave room for open, constructive and predictable relations."
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2025
"International NGOs and intergovernmental organizations could also play an important role in the synthesis and dissemination of new research, making sure it contributes to debates at international fora such as the climate and biodiversity COPs."
From Salon ● Sep. 3, 2023
She called on the EU to take “further concrete steps, bilaterally and in international fora, to prevent further atrocities and human suffering.”
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 18, 2021
“Wen, wen, wen, so you’ve been fora gin’ with that rascal!
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
There’s a reason there are Reddit forums for each card out there.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Put aside the broader question of whether predictions markets like Kalshi and Polymarket are simply dressed-up gambling forums that are already illegal under many states’ anti-gaming laws.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
I see the same thing happening on social-media forums, subreddits, Facebook groups and the like.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
Parents and employees in online forums expressed a range of views, including disbelief, hand-wringing and I-told-you-so — with a wide distribution for blame.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
The forums were parliaments of the people, not unlike the meetings of chiefs at the Great Place that I witnessed as a boy.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
