auditorium

au·di·to·ri·um

noun \ˌȯ-də-ˈtȯr-ē-əm\

: a large room or building where people gather to watch a performance, hear a speech, etc.

: the part of a building (such as a theater) where an audience sits

plural au·di·to·riums or au·di·to·ria\-ē-ə\

Full Definition of AUDITORIUM

1

:  the part of a public building where an audience sits

2

:  a room, hall, or building used for public gatherings

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Examples of AUDITORIUM

1. <will hold the town meeting in the high school auditorium>

Origin of AUDITORIUM

Latin, literally, lecture room

First Known Use: 1640

Related to AUDITORIUM

Synonyms

amphitheater, arena, hall, garden, theater (or theatre)

Related Words

arena theater, music hall, odeum, playhouse, theater-in-the-round; ballroom; lyceum; chamber, house, senate; cafetorium

Other Architecture Terms

buttress, casita, cornice, fanlight, garret, lintel, parapet, pilaster, plinth

Rhymes with AUDITORIUM

cafetorium, crematorium, in memoriam, moratorium, natatorium, sanatorium, sudatorium

auditorium

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Portion of a theater or hall where an audience sits, as distinct from the stage. The auditorium originated in the theaters of ancient Greece, as a semicircular seating area cut into a hillside. Floor levels in a large auditorium may include stalls, private boxes, dress circle, balcony or upper circle, and gallery. A sloping floor and converging walls allow for a clear view of the stage and improve acoustics. The walls and ceilings of contemporary auditoriums usually conceal light, sound, and air-conditioning equipment.