rotunda

noun

ro·​tun·​da rō-ˈtən-də 

1

: a round building

especially : one covered by a dome

2

a

: a large round room

b

: a large central area (as in a hotel)

Examples of rotunda in a Sentence

We stood inside the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol Building.

Recent Examples on the Web

Standing with the presidents of both Coppin State and Morgan State in the City Hall rotunda Thursday, Scott said the city’s HBCUs are the perfect institutions to grow local talent and keep graduates in Baltimore. —Emily Opilo, Baltimore Sun, 29 Feb. 2024

The 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire severely damaged the building’s interior, but the structure was redesigned by John Bakewell and Arthur J. Brown and rebuilt with the rotunda. —David Caraccio, Sacramento Bee, 13 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Italian rotonda, from Latin rotunda, feminine of rotundus

First Known Use

circa 1566, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing rotunda

• fenestra rotunda

Kids Definition

rotunda

noun

ro·​tun·​da rō-ˈtən-də 

1

: a round building

especially : one covered by a dome

2

a

: a large round room

b

: a large central area (as in a hotel)

Medical Definition

rotunda

see fenestra rotunda