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 details of the Mag Bay 43 were noteworthy, including the flawless stainless steel, 75-gallon bait tank (which looked like an aquarium on the stern) and two tiers of three seats with mahogany frames near the helm. —Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 7 Nov. 2025

The aquarium's aerial survey team caught a few snaps of the whales from above, and shared the images in a Facebook post. —Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025

The aquarium shared a photo of the unique sighting on Facebook. —Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 31 Oct. 2025

PetSmart stores offer a wide selection of fish, including popular pets like guppies, bettas, and goldfish, as well as all the necessary aquarium supplies, food, and filters. —Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025

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

• herbarium
• ovarium
• puparium
• samarium
• zoarium
• armamentarium
• cerium
• 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