aquarium

noun

aquar·​i·​um ə-ˈkwer-ē-əm 

plural aquariums or aquaria ə-ˈkwer-ē-ə 

1

: a container (such as a glass tank) or an artificial pond in which living aquatic animals or plants are kept

2

: an establishment where aquatic organisms are kept and exhibited

Examples of aquarium in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The aquarium said there was no way to know about the chronic conditions before the whales were rescued from the shuttered Marineland theme park in Canada. — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2026

Since then, the aquarium has done its best to minimize disruptions and emulate natural conditions for two clutches whose journey thus far has been anything but routine. — Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026

That includes food, an aquarium, a small arcade and a two-lane bowling alley. — Idaho Statesman, 30 Oct. 2026

That route now passes three golf courses, a hospital, an indoor water park, an aquarium, and countless subdivisions and strip malls. — Gaby Del Valle, The Verge, 29 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

probably alteration of aquatic vivarium

First Known Use

circa 1847, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing aquarium

• tropical aquarium

Rhymes for aquarium

• cerium
• armamentarium
• herbarium
• ovarium
• puparium
• samarium
• solarium
• zoarium
• honorarium
• planetarium
• sanitarium

Kids Definition

aquarium

noun

aquar·​i·​um ə-ˈkwar-ē-əm 

-ˈkwer-

plural aquariums or aquaria

-ē-ə

: a container (as a glass tank) in which living water animals or plants are kept

also : an establishment where collections of such animals or plants are kept and shown