What does "audience" mean?
A group of people within hearing; specifically, a large gathering of people listening to or watching a performance, speech, etc.
Audience
/ˈɔ.di.əns/ noun
noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A group of people within hearing; specifically, a large gathering of people listening to or watching a performance, speech, etc.
- Grammar: audience is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: accepter, acquirer, addressee, aficionado.
- Useful contrasts: non audience, acrobats, admen.
- Usage evidence: It requires wisdom to understand wisdom: the music is nothing if the audience is deaf.
How to use "audience"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "audience" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "audience" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "audience" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "audience" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "audience" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "accepter" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "audience", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 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
Example
"It requires wisdom to understand wisdom: the music is nothing if the audience is deaf."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "audience"?
Common synonyms include: accepter, acquirer, addressee, aficionado, attendance, attendees.
How do you use "audience" in a sentence?
It requires wisdom to understand wisdom: the music is nothing if the audience is deaf.
How do you pronounce "audience"?
Pronounced /ˈɔ.di.əns/.
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.