gymnasium

noun

gym·​na·​si·​um

sense 1

jim-ˈnā-zē-əm 

-zhəm;

sense 2 is usually

gim-ˈnä-zē-əm 

plural gymnasiums or gymnasia

sense 1

jim-ˈnā-zē-ə 

-zhə;

sense 2 is usually gim-ˈnä-zē-ə

1

a

: a large room used for various indoor sports (such as basketball or boxing) and usually equipped with gymnastic apparatus

b

: a building (as on a college campus) containing space and equipment for various indoor sports activities and usually including spectator accommodations, locker and shower rooms, offices, classrooms, and a swimming pool

2

[German, from Latin, school] : a European secondary school that prepares students for the university

Synonyms of gymnasium

• gym

Examples of gymnasium in a Sentence

since it was raining, the kids had recess in the gymnasium

Recent Examples on the Web

The new student center will include a regulation-sized gymnasium, fitness center, season team locker rooms, a TV studio, lecture hall, dining hall, and student gathering spaces. —Patrick Damp, CBS News, 20 Dec. 2025

Reid — wearing a Chiefs jacket and her ever-present Super Bowl rings — climbed onto one of the bicycles and took a quick, careful spin around the gymnasium during the party, which was closed to the public. —Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 19 Dec. 2025

According to the footwear company, 150 Genesco employees and senior leadership team members gathered at Park Avenue Elementary School to set up a mock shoe store in the school’s gymnasium. —Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 15 Dec. 2025

The school's gymnasium had a capacity of 2,730 people, but nearly 5,000 people tried to attend, The New York Times reported. —Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 9 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin, exercise ground, school, from Greek gymnasion, from gymnazein to exercise naked, from gymnos naked — more at naked

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

gymnasium

noun

gym·​na·​si·​um jim-ˈnā-zē-əm  -zhəm 

plural gymnasiums or gymnasia

-zē-ə, 

-zhə

: a room or building for sports activities

Etymology

from Latin gymnasium "exercise ground, school," from Greek gymnasion (same meaning), from gymnazein "to exercise naked," from gymnos "naked"