Standard Lemma guide

audience

noun · 11 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈɔːdi.əns/
  • British, Southern, Standard: /ˈoːdɪjəns/
  • SSB Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • /ˈɔ.di.əns/ without the cot–caught merger
  • [ˈɔ.ɾi.əns] without the cot–caught merger
  • cot-caught-merger: /ˈɑ.di.əns/
  • cot-caught-merger: [ˈɑ.ɾi.əns]
  • US: cot-caught Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Canada: /ˈɒ.di.əns/
  • Canada: [ˈɒ.ɾi.əns]
  • Australian, New-Zealand: /ˈoːdi.əns/
  • Australian, New-Zealand: [ˈoːɾi.əns]
  • Scotland: /ˈɔ.de.əns/
  • CMU ARPABET: AA1 D IY0 AH0 N S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: AO1 D IY0 AH0 N S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A group of people within hearing; specifically, a large gathering of people listening to or watching a performance, speech, etc.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • We joined the audience just as the lights went down.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Hearing; the condition or state of hearing or listening.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A widespread or nationwide viewing or listening public, as of a TV or radio network or program.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A formal meeting with a state or religious dignitary.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • She managed to get an audience with the Pope.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

The readership of a book or other written publication.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • "Private Eye" has a small but faithful audience.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A following.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The opera singer expanded his audience by singing songs from the shows.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

An audiencia (judicial court of the Spanish empire), or the territory administered by it.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: historical

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

a conference (usually with someone important)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he had a consultation with the judge
  • he requested an audience with the king

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: consultation, interview

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: conference, group discussion

9

noun

Meaning 9

a gathering of spectators or listeners at a (usually public) performance

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the audience applauded
  • someone in the audience began to cough

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: gathering, assemblage

Narrower terms: gallery, grandstand, house

10

noun

Meaning 10

the part of the general public interested in a source of information or entertainment

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • every artist needs an audience
  • the broadcast reached an audience of millions

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: multitude, masses, mass, hoi polloi, people, the great unwashed

Narrower terms: readership, viewing audience, TV audience, viewers

11

noun

Meaning 11

an opportunity to state your case and be heard

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • they condemned him without a hearing
  • he saw that he had lost his audience

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: hearing

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: opportunity, chance

History

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.

Across languages

Translations

180 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Western Apache: dabiłdéniidí — group of people seeing a performance
  • Arabic: جُمْهُور (jumhūr) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Arabic: نَظَّارَة (naẓẓāra) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Arabic: جُمْهُور (jumhūr) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Armenian: ունկնդիրներ (unkndirner) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Armenian: հանդիսատես (handisates) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Basque: entzuleak — group of people seeing a performance
  • Belarusian: пу́бліка (públika) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Belarusian: аўдыто́рыя (awdytóryja) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Belarusian: глядачы́ (hljadačý) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Belarusian: слухачы́ (sluxačý) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Bulgarian: пу́блика (públika) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Bulgarian: аудито́рия (auditórija) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Burmese: ပရိသတ် (pa.ri.sat) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Catalan: públic — group of people seeing a performance
  • Chinese Cantonese: 觀眾 /观众 (gun1 zung3) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Chinese Cantonese: 聽眾 /听众 (ting3 zung3) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Chinese Mandarin: 觀眾 /观众 (guānzhòng) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Chinese Mandarin: 聽眾 /听众 (tīngzhòng) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Czech: obecenstvo — group of people seeing a performance
  • Danish: publik — group of people seeing a performance
  • Danish: publikum — group of people seeing a performance
  • Dutch: publiek — group of people seeing a performance
  • Esperanto: publiko — group of people seeing a performance
  • Esperanto: spektantaro — group of people seeing a performance
  • Esperanto: ĉeestantaro — group of people seeing a performance
  • Finnish: yleisö — group of people seeing a performance
  • Finnish: katsojat — group of people seeing a performance
  • French: assistance — group of people seeing a performance
  • French: public — group of people seeing a performance
  • French: auditoire — group of people seeing a performance
  • Galician: público — group of people seeing a performance
  • Galician: audiencia — group of people seeing a performance
  • Georgian: აუდიტორია (audiṭoria) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Georgian: პუბლიკა (ṗubliḳa) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Georgian: მაყურებლები (maq̇ureblebi) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Georgian: მსმენელები (msmenelebi) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Georgian: დამსწრე საზოგადოება (damsc̣re sazogadoeba) — group of people seeing a performance
  • German: Publikum — group of people seeing a performance
  • German: Zuschauer — group of people seeing a performance
  • German: Audienzen — group of people seeing a performance
  • Greek: ακροατήριο (akroatírio) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Greek: κοινό (koinó) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Haitian Creole: odyans — group of people seeing a performance
  • Haitian Creole: piblik — group of people seeing a performance
  • Hungarian: közönség — group of people seeing a performance
  • Indonesian: penonton — group of people seeing a performance
  • Interlingua: auditorio — group of people seeing a performance
  • Interlingua: publico — group of people seeing a performance
  • Italian: pubblico — group of people seeing a performance
  • Italian: uditorio — group of people seeing a performance
  • Japanese: 聴衆 (chōshū) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Japanese: 観衆 (kanshū) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Japanese: 観客 (kankyaku) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Khmer: ទស្សនិកជន (tŭəhsaʼnɨkcŭən) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Korean: 관중 (gwanjung) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Korean: 관객 (gwan'gaek) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Central Kurdish: جمھور (cimhur) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Latin: audientēs — group of people seeing a performance
  • Latin: audītōrium — group of people seeing a performance
  • Lithuanian: publika — group of people seeing a performance
  • Lithuanian: žiūrovai — group of people seeing a performance
  • Lithuanian: auditorija — group of people seeing a performance
  • Lithuanian: audiencija — group of people seeing a performance
  • Macedonian: публика (publika) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Malay: penonton — group of people seeing a performance
  • Norwegian Bokmål: publikum — group of people seeing a performance
  • Dari: مُخَاطَب (muxātab) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Iranian Persian: مُخاطَب (moxâtab) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Polish: widownia — group of people seeing a performance
  • Polish: publika — group of people seeing a performance
  • Polish: audytorium — group of people seeing a performance
  • Portuguese: público — group of people seeing a performance
  • Portuguese: plateia — group of people seeing a performance
  • Portuguese: audiência — group of people seeing a performance
  • Romanian: asistență — group of people seeing a performance
  • Russian: пу́блика (públika) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Russian: зри́тели (zríteli) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Russian: аудито́рия (auditórija) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Russian: слу́шатели (slúšateli) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Sanskrit: प्रेक्षक (prekṣaka) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Scottish Gaelic: èisteachd — group of people seeing a performance
  • Serbo-Croatian: пу̀блика — group of people seeing a performance
  • Serbo-Croatian: гледаоци (viewers) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Serbo-Croatian: слушаоци (listeners) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Serbo-Croatian: pùblika — group of people seeing a performance
  • Serbo-Croatian: gledaoci — group of people seeing a performance
  • Serbo-Croatian: slušaoci — group of people seeing a performance
  • Shan: ၽူႈၸူမ်း (phūu tsúum) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Slovene: občinstvo — group of people seeing a performance
  • Spanish: audiencia — group of people seeing a performance
  • Spanish: público — group of people seeing a performance
  • Spanish: graderío — group of people seeing a performance
  • Spanish: grada — group of people seeing a performance
  • Swedish: publik — group of people seeing a performance
  • Telugu: ప్రేక్షకులు (prēkṣakulu) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Thai: ผู้ชม (pûu-chom) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Thai: นักอ่าน — group of people seeing a performance
  • Turkish: seyirci — group of people seeing a performance
  • Turkish: izleyici — group of people seeing a performance
  • Turkish: dinleyici — group of people seeing a performance
  • Turkish: okuyucu (readership) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Ukrainian: аудито́рія (audytórija) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Ukrainian: пу́бліка (públika) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Ukrainian: авдито́рія (avdytórija) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Ukrainian: глядачі́ (hljadačí) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Ukrainian: слухачі́ (sluxačí) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Vietnamese: khán giả — group of people seeing a performance
  • Vietnamese: quý vị — group of people seeing a performance
  • Welsh: cynulleidfa — group of people seeing a performance
  • Yiddish: עולם (oylem) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Yiddish: פּובליקום (publikum) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Yiddish: צוהערערשאַפֿט (tsuherershaft) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Yiddish: אױדיטאָריע (oyditorye) — group of people seeing a performance
  • Zhuang: bouxyawj — group of people seeing a performance
  • Belarusian: чытачы́ (čytačý) — readership of a written publication
  • Bulgarian: чита́тели (čitáteli) — readership of a written publication
  • Danish: læsere — readership of a written publication
  • Dutch: publiek — readership of a written publication
  • Dutch: lezerspubliek — readership of a written publication
  • Dutch: lezers — readership of a written publication
  • Esperanto: legantaro — readership of a written publication
  • Finnish: lukijat — readership of a written publication
  • Finnish: lukijakunta — readership of a written publication
  • French: lectorat — readership of a written publication
  • German: Publikum — readership of a written publication
  • Greek: κοινό (koinó) — readership of a written publication
  • Italian: pubblico — readership of a written publication
  • Kazakh: оқырмандар (oqyrmandar) — readership of a written publication
  • Norwegian Bokmål: lesere — readership of a written publication
  • Portuguese: público — readership of a written publication
  • Russian: чита́тели (čitáteli) — readership of a written publication
  • Russian: аудито́рия (auditórija) — readership of a written publication
  • Scottish Gaelic: èisteachd — readership of a written publication
  • Spanish: público — readership of a written publication
  • Swedish: läsare — readership of a written publication
  • Ukrainian: аудито́рія (audytórija) — readership of a written publication
  • Ukrainian: авдито́рія (avdytórija) — readership of a written publication
  • Ukrainian: читачі́ (čytačí) — readership of a written publication
  • Belarusian: аўдые́нцыя (awdyjéncyja) — formal meeting with a dignitary
  • Bulgarian: аудие́нция (audiéncija) — formal meeting with a dignitary
  • Chinese Mandarin: 聽眾 /听众 (tīngzhòng) — formal meeting with a dignitary
  • Danish: audiens — formal meeting with a dignitary
  • Dutch: audiëntie — formal meeting with a dignitary
  • Dutch: onderhoud — formal meeting with a dignitary
  • Esperanto: aŭdienco — formal meeting with a dignitary
  • Finnish: vastaanotto — formal meeting with a dignitary
  • Finnish: audienssi — formal meeting with a dignitary
  • French: audience — formal meeting with a dignitary
  • Galician: audiencia — formal meeting with a dignitary
  • Georgian: აუდიენცია (audiencia) — formal meeting with a dignitary
  • German: Audienz — formal meeting with a dignitary
  • Greek: ακρόαση (akróasi) — formal meeting with a dignitary
  • Hungarian: kihallgatás — formal meeting with a dignitary
  • Hungarian: audiencia — formal meeting with a dignitary
  • Interlingua: audientia — formal meeting with a dignitary
  • Italian: udienza — formal meeting with a dignitary
  • Kazakh: қабылдау (qabyldau) — formal meeting with a dignitary
  • Latin: admissiō — formal meeting with a dignitary
  • Norwegian Bokmål: audiens — formal meeting with a dignitary
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: audiens — formal meeting with a dignitary
  • Polish: audiencja — formal meeting with a dignitary
  • Portuguese: audiência — formal meeting with a dignitary
  • Romanian: audiență — formal meeting with a dignitary
  • Russian: аудие́нция (audijéncija) — formal meeting with a dignitary
  • Slovene: avdienca — formal meeting with a dignitary
  • Spanish: audiencia — formal meeting with a dignitary
  • Swedish: audiens — formal meeting with a dignitary
  • Ukrainian: аудіє́нція (audijéncija) — formal meeting with a dignitary
  • Danish: følgeskare — following
  • Dutch: gevolg — following
  • Esperanto: sekvantaro — following
  • Finnish: yleisö — following
  • Greek: κοινό (koinó) — following
  • Malay: pengikut — following
  • Malay: peminat — following
  • Portuguese: público — following
  • Spanish: audiencia — following
  • Telugu: అనుచరులు (anucarulu) — following
  • Ukrainian: аудіє́нція (audijéncija) — following
Real reading context

audience in complete knowledge articles