lyceum
noun
an institution for popular education providing discussions, lectures, concerts, etc.
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
The turning point in his life was the lyceum which he attended, following the lines of argument, but lacking courage to share in the debate.
From Revisiting the Earth by James Langdon Hill
A lyceum lecture, a sewing-society, an evening party, a concert, a county fair, may be elevation, amusement, improvement to her.
From A New Atmosphere by Gail Hamilton
To these graphic pictures of the "lyceum lecturer" we would add one more which was given by Mr. J.W.
From Life of Oliver Wendell Holmes by E. E. Brown
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
The play opened on Broadway at the Lyceum Theatre in 2001, directed by Jack O’Brien.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 29, 2025
Previous Lincoln scholars have treated the Lyceum Speech more as an outburst than an oration, at best the overwrought declamation of a gifted tyro.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2025
The show had been due to open at Leeds Playhouse in April before being staged at Edinburgh's Royal Lyceum Theatre, the Birmingham Rep and Manchester's Home.
From BBC ● Jan. 29, 2025
"What did you want at the Jewish Lyceum, Hanneke?"
From "Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse
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.
