forum

American  

[fawr-uhm] / ˈfɔr əm /

noun

plural

forums, fora

1. 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.

2. a court or tribunal.

   the forum of public opinion.

3. an assembly, meeting place, television program, etc., for the discussion of questions of public interest.

4. Also called online forum,.  Also called internet forum,.  Also called web forum.  message board.

5. the Forum, the forum in the ancient city of Rome.

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forum ¹ British  

/ ˈfɔːrəm /

noun

1. a meeting or assembly for the open discussion of subjects of public interest

2. a medium for open discussion, such as a magazine

3. a public meeting place for open discussion

4. a court; tribunal

5. (in South Africa) a pressure group of leaders or representatives, esp Black leaders or representatives

6. (in ancient Italy) an open space, usually rectangular in shape, serving as a city's marketplace and centre of public business

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Forum ² British  

/ rəʊˈmɑːnəm /

noun

1. the main forum of ancient Rome, situated between the Capitoline and the Palatine Hills

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Usage

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.

Etymology

Origin of forum

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Latin: “marketplace, public place,” akin to forīs, forās “outside,” foris door

Example Sentences

Six candidates for governor discuss affordability, agriculture and rural California issues at a Fresno State forum hosted by farming groups.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026

Major events have been canceled, including an F1 race, a capital markets forum and a flag football event featuring Tom Brady.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

It “would not surprise me at all,” one commenter on a Reddit forum said about a potential fuel surcharge.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

Following a recent fans' forum, Manchester United said it would "advocate on behalf of fans".

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

In 1939 she was just beginning to use her “My Day” newspaper column as her own political forum, where she could express her personal ideas and convictions.

From "The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights" by Russell Freedman

Related Words

• conference
• convention
• gathering
• seminar
• symposium