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Synonyms

museum

American  
[myoo-zee-uhm] / myuˈzi əm /

noun

  1. a building or place where works of art, scientific specimens, or other objects of permanent value are kept and displayed.

museum British  
/ mjuːˈzɪəm /

noun

  1. a place or building where objects of historical, artistic, or scientific interest are exhibited, preserved, or studied

"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

Other Word Forms

  • intermuseum adjective

Etymology

Origin of museum

1605–15; < Latin mūsēum place sacred to the Muses, building devoted to learning or the arts (referring especially to the scholarly institute founded in Alexandria about 280 b.c.) < Greek Mouseîon, equivalent to Moûs ( a ) Muse + -eion suffix of place

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.

Barron said getting the placement of the sculpture just right was of utmost importance to the museum and the Calder Foundation.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

Suzanne Wille and I finally met in person in a strangely perfect place and time: The Art Institute of Chicago, the city’s most famous museum, during Christmas week.

From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026

He shared the idea with his colleague Mitchell Riegler, another doctoral student at the museum.

From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2026

It feels more like a museum than a typical antique mall, and I always discover something new.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

They discovered that security was slapdash, paintings were moved without authorization, and the museum photographers ran the place.

From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day

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.