symposium

noun

sym·​po·​sium sim-ˈpō-zē-əm 

 also  -zh(ē-)əm

plural symposia sim-ˈpō-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

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 end of the 18th 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.

Synonyms

• colloquy
• conference
• council
• forum
• panel
• panel discussion
• parley
• round-robin
• roundtable
• seminar

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 on the Web

Well’s symposium will be open to the public and livestreamed. —Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Oct. 2023

The three-day event will be an international academic symposium and will coincide with Swift bringing her Eras Tour to the country. —Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 21 Sep. 2023

Double Exposure spans four days of film screenings and a symposium aimed at professionals in journalism and filmmaking who want to hone their craft. —Chris Kelly, Washington Post, 2 Nov. 2023

Diving into this eight-part series and its seven-plus hours is a bit like signing on to a semester-long symposium on evolution, biodiversity, the history of mass extinctions and the resilience of the organism. —John Anderson, WSJ, 24 Oct. 2023

Event: Indiana native John Mellencamp spoke about his life and career in March at the university’s Franklin Hall during a symposium discussing the social and cultural impact of his music. —Thom Duffy, Billboard, 10 Oct. 2023

Well’s upcoming symposium that focuses on end of life conversations. —Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Oct. 2023

Fresh research presented at a recent Federal Reserve economic symposium has shed light on how the central bank's endeavors to curb inflation through interest rate hikes and demand moderation. —Fox News, 25 Aug. 2023

Over in the Rocky Mountains, the yearly Jackson Hole symposium mostly welcomes those rooting for the greenback: Western central bankers. —Peter Vanham, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2023

See More

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from Greek symposion, from sympinein to drink together, from syn- + pinein to drink — more at potable

First Known Use

1711, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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Kids Definition

symposium

noun

sym·​po·​sium sim-ˈpō-zē-əm 

 also  -zh(ē-)əm

plural symposia -zē-ə 

-zh(ē-)ə

or symposiums

1

: a group meeting at which there are several speeches and often a group discussion

2

: a collection of opinions on a subject

Etymology

from earlier symposium "a social gathering at which there is a free exchange of ideas," from Latin symposium "a party with much drinking and conversation," derived from Greek sympinein "to drink together," from syn- "together with" and pinein "to drink" — related to synonymous