definitions

forum

[ fawr-uh m, fohr-uh m ]
/ ˈfɔr əm, ˈfoʊr əm /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR forum ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural fo·rums, fo·ra [fawr-uh, fohr-uh] /ˈfɔr ə, ˈfoʊr ə/.

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, Internet forum, Web forum. message board.
the Forum, the forum in the ancient city of Rome.

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RELATED WORDS

conference, symposium, gathering, seminar, convention, framework, agency, venue, mechanism, assembly, conclave, congress, convocation, congregation, colloquium, council, rally, medium, apparatus, means

Nearby words

forty-third, forty-three, forty-two, fortyish, fortypenny, forum, forward, forward bias, forward delivery, forward echelon, forward exchange

Origin of forum

1425–75; late Middle English < Latin: marketplace, public place, akin to forīs, forās outside, foris door

Can be confused

form forum (see synonym study at form)

Definition for forum (2 of 2)

message board

noun

a website or section of a website that is used for public discussion of a specific topic and on which users can submit or read messages: You should post your questions on a parenting message board and get support from other parents.
an online discussion group that is maintained on such a website: To participate in the message board, you must be a registered user.
Also called discussion board, forum.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for forum

British Dictionary definitions for forum (1 of 3)

forum

/ (ˈfɔːrəm) /

noun plural -rums or -ra (-rə)

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

Word Origin for forum

C15: from Latin: public place; related to Latin foris outside

British Dictionary definitions for forum (2 of 3)

Forum

Forum Romanum

/ (rəʊˈmɑːnəm) /

noun

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

British Dictionary definitions for forum (3 of 3)

message board

noun

an internet discussion forum
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012