symposium

noun sym·po·sium \ sim-ˈpō-zē-əm also -zh(ē-)əm \

Updated on: 15 May 2018

Definition of symposium

plural symposia play \-zē-ə, -zh(ē-)ə\ or symposiums

1 a : a convivial party (as after a banquet in ancient Greece) with music and conversation

b : a social gathering at which there is free interchange of ideas

2 a : a formal meeting at which several specialists deliver short addresses on a topic or on related topics — compare colloquium

b : a collection of opinions on a subject; especially : one published by a periodical

c : discussion

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Examples of symposium in a Sentence

Professors and graduate students attended the symposium.
recently attended a daylong symposium on new methods of chromatography

Recent Examples of symposium from the Web

There was speculation among scientists at an international symposium on E. coli in Florence, Italy, this week that the source of the outbreak could be shared irrigation water or windblown dust.

— robert anglen, azcentral, "Is it safe to eat salad with all the news about E. coli?," 10 May 2018
San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan organized the symposium, which was attended by about 175 stakeholders from across the county.

— gary warth, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Push begins to coordinate mental health, law efforts," 30 Apr. 2018
Little also got a peek at this year’s combine at the NCAA’s symposium for prospective pros.

— cleveland.com, "NFL mock draft 2019: 32 prospects to watch for next year," 29 Apr. 2018
The invitation-only symposium — set for 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 9 — will be held on the Northwest Campus of Wayne County Community College District in the Larry K. Lewis Education Building, 8200 W. Outer Drive, Detroit.

— frank witsil, Detroit Free Press, "10-minute United Way survey can help better your community," 18 Apr. 2018
Admission for the symposiums is free, but pre-registration is required.

— Courant Community, "Community News For The Killingly Edition," 17 Apr. 2018
Speaking to students at a symposium hosted by the Birmingham Metro Southern Christian Leadership Conference at Sixth Avenue Baptist Church, Cook reflected on the ultimate sacrifice that King made.

— erin edgemon, AL.com, "Apple's Tim Cook talks MLK, Auburn, coding during Birmingham visit," 4 Apr. 2018
Assertions that about 30% of La Cañada teens had tried drugs at least once and that a narcotics problem was prevalent here were made at a narcotics symposium organized by St. Bede the Venerable Catholic Church.

— carol cormaci, latimes.com, "La Cañada History: Four Disney animators, all longtime La Cañada residents, capture Pioneer in Film awards," 2 Apr. 2018
Gates said in an interview with STAT reporters and editors, before announcing the funding at a symposium on epidemics organized by the Massachusetts Medical Society and the New England Journal of Medicine.

— helen branswell, STAT, "With cash and a call for new ideas, Bill Gates tries to boost the campaign for a universal flu vaccine," 27 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'symposium.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

It was drinking more than thinking that drew people to the original symposia and that gave us the word symposium. The ancient Greeks would often follow a banquet with a drinking party they called a "symposion." That name came from "sympinein," a verb that combines pinein, meaning "to drink," with the prefix syn-, meaning "together." Originally, English speakers only used "symposium" to refer to such an ancient Greek party, but in the 18th century British gentlemen's clubs started using the word for gatherings in which intellectual conversation was fueled by drinking. By the 19th century, "symposium" had gained the more sober sense we know today, describing meetings in which the focus is more on the exchange of ideas and less on imbibing.