audience
/ˈoːdi.əns/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: 4.73 in modern English
11
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
3
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A group of people within hearing; specifically, a large gathering of people listening to or watching a performance, speech, etc.
noun
A widespread or nationwide viewing or listening public, as of a TV or radio network or program.
noun
A formal meeting with a state or religious dignitary.
noun
The readership of a book or other written publication.
noun
A following.
noun
An audiencia (judicial court of the Spanish empire), or the territory administered by it.
Example Sentences
- "We joined the audience just as the lights went down."
- "One saint's day in mid-term a certain newly appointed suffragan-bishop came to the school chapel, and there preached on “The Inner Life.” He at once secured attention by his informal method, and when presently the coughing of Jarvis […] interrupted the sermon, he altogether captivated his audience with a remark about cough lozenges being cheap and easily procurable."
- "My audience to this not-too-easy operation was a small group of Scottish school lasses, who seemed (perhaps naturally) to find the proceedings somewhat mysterious, but at any rate amusing. I wished they would go away, but they didn't, so I had to get on with the job to the accompaniment of a background of giggles!"
- "WHen he had ended all his ſayingꝭ in the audience of the people / he entred ĩto Capernaum."
- "... groans and roarings full of plaintive anger, the force of which can only be realized by actual audience. When solicited by the jerking of their noses, they condescend to kneel down and tuck their legs under them;[…]"
- "She managed to get an audience with the Pope."
Etymology
From Middle English audience, from Middle French audience, from Old French audience, from Latin audientia, from present participle audiēns (“hearing”), from verb audiō (“to hear”). Doublet of audiencia.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: *h₂ew-, audience, audientia
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈoːdi.əns/
- British English: /ˈɔːdi.əns/