audience
Americannoun
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the group of spectators at a public event; listeners or viewers collectively, as in attendance at a theater or concert.
The audience was respectful of the speaker's opinion.
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the persons reached by a book, radio or television broadcast, etc.; public.
Some works of music have a wide and varied audience.
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a regular public that manifests interest, support, enthusiasm, or the like; a following.
Every art form has its audience.
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opportunity to be heard; chance to speak to or before a person or group; a hearing.
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a formal interview with a sovereign, high officer of government, or other high-ranking person.
an audience with the pope.
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the act of hearing, or attending to, words or sounds.
noun
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a group of spectators or listeners, esp at a public event such as a concert or play
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the people reached by a book, film, or radio or television programme
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the devotees or followers of a public entertainer, lecturer, etc; regular public
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an opportunity to put one's point of view, such as a formal interview with a monarch or head of state
Grammar
See collective noun.
Other Word Forms
- proaudience adjective
Etymology
Origin of audience
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin audientia “act of listening, group of listeners,” from audient-, stem of audiēns “hearing” (present participle of audīre “to hear”) + -ia -ia ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Going Public, which described itself as “Shark Tank meets The Apprentice,” introduced audiences to businesses seeking financial backing, allowing those viewers to invest in the businesses under “crowdfunding” provisions of federal law.
From Barron's
From shushing audience members to returning for a cup of tea at the height of his fame, Barlow certainly left his mark on the small Flintshire community.
From BBC
Affairs, The Times’ popular dating and romance column about the complications and happily-ever-afters of dating and relationships in L.A., is jumping from the printed word to a Hollywood stage with a live audience.
From Los Angeles Times
With a focus on film and television, his stories often explore the places where creativity meets business and the shifting ways in which audiences consume entertainment.
Yet the sport has struggled to find a broadcast audience, especially among the legacy media.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
