lyceum
noun
an institution for popular education providing discussions, lectures, concerts, etc.
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lyceum
American
[lahy-see-uhm]
/ laɪˈsi əm /
noun
-
an institution for popular education providing discussions, lectures, concerts, etc.
-
a building for such activities.
-
(initial capital letter) the gymnasium where Aristotle taught, in ancient Athens.
-
a lycée.
lyceum
1
British
/ laɪˈsɪəm /
noun
-
a public building for concerts, lectures, etc
-
a cultural organization responsible for presenting concerts, lectures, etc
-
another word for lycée
Lyceum
2
British
/ laɪˈsɪəm /
noun
-
a school and sports ground of ancient Athens: site of Aristotle's discussions with his pupils
-
the Aristotelian school of philosophy
Etymology
Origin of lyceum
First recorded in 1570–80; from Latin Lycēum, Lycīum, from Greek Lýkeion place in Athens, so named from the neighboring temple of Apollo; noun use of neuter of lýkeios, epithet of Apollo, variously explained
Vocabulary lists containing lyceum
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
When someone asked about “pét nat” wines—short for pétillant naturel, a trendy sparkling variety—one young techie pulled faces that would trigger expulsion from a Swiss lyceum.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 18, 2026
He won his baccalaureate, and for four years taught history at a lyceum in Hanoi.
From Time Magazine Archive
Among the many subjects that Doctor Holmes touched upon in these lyceum lectures was a fine, witty, and remarkably just criticism on the English Poets of the Nineteenth Century.
From Life of Oliver Wendell Holmes by E. E. Brown
Besides carrying through many difficult negotiations, he founded the lyceum of Braunsberg, which became the centre of the Roman Catholic mission among Protestants.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 7 "Horticulture" to "Hudson Bay" by Various
In our community they formed a lyceum, and among the questions discussed was this: Which is preferable, city or country life?
From Revisiting the Earth by James Langdon Hill
Haig began writing a version of the script shortly after the play debuted at the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh in May 2014.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026
But as a teenager in the 1990s, he was more likely to be found backstage than onstage, as a member of the Lyceum Youth Theatre.
From BBC ● Jan. 28, 2026
Lincoln challenged his audience at the Springfield Lyceum.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2025
Sheffield Theatres is the organisation that runs the Crucible, the Lyceum Theatre, the Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse and theatre and arts centre, the Montgomery.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2025
By Alexander’s time, the rise of major philosophical schools, such as the Academy and Lyceum in Athens, began to introduce a degree of conformity on cosmological questions.
From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro
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