plural agoras or agorae
ˈa-gə-ˌrē 
-ˌrī
: a gathering place
especially
: the marketplace in ancient Greece
plural agorot
ˌä-gə-ˈrōt
: a monetary subunit of the shekel see shekel at Money Table
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In ancient Greek cities, an agora was an open space serving as an assembly area and a place for commercial, civic, social, and religious activities. Use of the agora varied in different periods. Located in the middle of the city or near the harbor, it was often enclosed by public buildings, covered areas containing shops, and stoas for protection from sun and bad weather. The highest honor for a citizen was to be granted a tomb in the agora.
Examples of agora in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Barry Neild, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2025
Excavations showed that Ephesus boasted two agoras, one as a marketplace, the other for state business.
—Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025
To me, the moment recalls the utopian vision once shared by California’s internet pioneers and Chinese tech innovators and users: a digital agora and global village.
—Jianqing Chen, The Conversation, 19 Jan. 2025
The festival will feature an agora with a variety of vendors.
—Tasha Tsiaperas, Axios, 31 Oct. 2024
It is inspired by the practices of deep listening and experiences of togetherness that have been taking place for centuries in this place, from the spiritual traditions of Gnawa music and Sufi invocation to the agora of storytelling that is the square Jemaa el-Fna.
—Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 24 Oct. 2024
The forest agoras are always located close to rivers and streams.
—Zhengyang Wang, Scientific American, 2 Oct. 2024
Over the next five months, the century-old Italian cultural institution is showcasing the work of 400 artists, designers, and architects from 40 countries, in the hopes of becoming a kind of agora for creative thinkers around the world.
—Anne Quito, Quartz, 14 July 2022
But term limits transformed Sacramento not into a Greek-style agora of free men, but a swamp where Republican fortunes have sunk ever since like a mastodon in the La Brea tar pits.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2021
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Noun
Nearby, there’s the imposing outer wall of the bouleuterion or assembly house that would’ve been the city’s seat of power, another central agora dating back to pre-Roman times and the ruins of a colonnaded street that once housed the city’s most exclusive shops.
—Barry Neild, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2025
Excavations showed that Ephesus boasted two agoras, one as a marketplace, the other for state business.
—Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025
To me, the moment recalls the utopian vision once shared by California’s internet pioneers and Chinese tech innovators and users: a digital agora and global village.
—Jianqing Chen, The Conversation, 19 Jan. 2025
The festival will feature an agora with a variety of vendors.
—Tasha Tsiaperas, Axios, 31 Oct. 2024
It is inspired by the practices of deep listening and experiences of togetherness that have been taking place for centuries in this place, from the spiritual traditions of Gnawa music and Sufi invocation to the agora of storytelling that is the square Jemaa el-Fna.
—Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 24 Oct. 2024
The forest agoras are always located close to rivers and streams.
—Zhengyang Wang, Scientific American, 2 Oct. 2024
Over the next five months, the century-old Italian cultural institution is showcasing the work of 400 artists, designers, and architects from 40 countries, in the hopes of becoming a kind of agora for creative thinkers around the world.
—Anne Quito, Quartz, 14 July 2022
But term limits transformed Sacramento not into a Greek-style agora of free men, but a swamp where Republican fortunes have sunk ever since like a mastodon in the La Brea tar pits.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2021
Cite this Entry
“Agora.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/agora. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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