chautauqua
noun
chau·tau·qua
shə-ˈtȯ-kwə 
often capitalized
: any of various traveling shows and local assemblies that flourished in the U.S. in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, that provided popular education combined with entertainment in the form of lectures, concerts, and plays, and that were modeled after activities at the Chautauqua Institution of western New York
Examples of chautauqua in a Sentence
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According to some historians, the movement peaked around 1915, when 12,000 communities had hosted a chautauqua.
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Kelsey Ables, Washington Post, 13 Aug. 2022
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Kelsey Ables, Washington Post, 13 Aug. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Chautauqua.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chautauqua. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationGeographical Definition
Chautauqua
geographical name
Chau·tau·qua
shə-ˈtȯ-kwə
lake 18 miles (29 kilometers) long in southwestern New York
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