Nearby words
gym suit, gymel, gymkhana, gymn-, gymnanthous, gymnasia, gymnasiarch, gymnasiast, gymnasium, gymnast, gymnastic
Definition for gymnasia (2 of 4)
Definition for gymnasia (3 of 4)
gymnasium
1[ jim-ney-zee-uh m ]
/ dʒɪmˈneɪ zi əm /
noun, plural gym·na·si·ums, gym·na·si·a [jim-ney-zee-uh, -zhuh] /dʒɪmˈneɪ zi ə, -ʒə/.
a building or room designed and equipped for indoor sports, exercise, or physical education.
a place where Greek youths met for exercise and discussion.
Origin of gymnasium
11590–1600; < Latin: a public school for gymnastics < Greek gymnásion gymnastic school (derivative of gymnázein to train in the nude
Related formsgym·na·si·al, adjective
Definition for gymnasia (4 of 4)
gymnasium
2[ gim-nah-zee-uh m ]
/ gɪmˈnɑ zi əm /
noun, plural gym·na·si·ums, gym·na·si·a [gim-nah-zee-uh] /gɪmˈnɑ zi ə/.
(often initial capital letter) (in continental Europe, especially Germany) a classical school preparatory to the universities.
Origin of gymnasium
2Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for gymnasia
British Dictionary definitions for gymnasia
gymnasium
/ (dʒɪmˈneɪzɪəm) /
noun plural -siums or -sia (-zɪə)
a large room or hall equipped with bars, weights, ropes, etc, for games or physical training
(in various European countries) a secondary school that prepares pupils for university
Word Origin for gymnasium
C16: from Latin: school for gymnastics, from Greek gumnasion, from gumnazein to exercise naked, from gumnos naked
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for gymnasia
gymnasium
1590s, "place of exercise," from Latin gymnasium "school for gymnastics," from Greek gymnasion "public place where athletic exercises are practiced; gymnastics school," in plural, "bodily exercises," from gymnazein "to exercise or train," literally or figuratively, literally "to train naked," from gymnos "naked" (see naked). Introduced to German 15c. as a name for "high school" (more or less paralleling a sense in Latin); in English it has remained purely athletic.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper