Audience
noun ·Common ·High school level
Definitions
- 1 A group of people within hearing; specifically, a large gathering of people listening to or watching a performance, speech, etc.
"We joined the audience just as the lights went down."
- 2 a conference (usually with someone important) wordnet
- 3 Hearing; the condition or state of hearing or listening. archaic
"WHen he had ended all his ſayingꝭ in the audience of the people / he entred ĩto Capernaum."
- 4 a gathering of spectators or listeners at a (usually public) performance wordnet
- 5 A widespread or nationwide viewing or listening public, as of a TV or radio network or program.
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 the part of the general public interested in a source of information, entertainment, or a product/service wordnet
- 7 A formal meeting with a state or religious dignitary.
"She managed to get an audience with the Pope."
- 8 an opportunity to state your case and be heard wordnet
- 9 The readership of a book or other written publication.
""Private Eye" has a small but faithful audience."
- 10 A following.
"The opera singer expanded his audience by singing songs from the shows."
- 11 An audiencia (judicial court of the Spanish empire), or the territory administered by it. historical
Antonyms
All antonymsExample
More examples"It requires wisdom to understand wisdom: the music is nothing if the audience is deaf."
Etymology
From Middle English audience, from Middle French audience, from Old French audience, from Latin audientia, from present participle audiēns (“hearing”), from verb audiō (“I hear”). Doublet of audiencia.
Related phrases
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.