An audience at a movie theater.
- An example of an audience is the crowd in the seats at a sporting event.
- An example of an audience are people who tune in to a specific morning radio show.
- An example of an audience are people who enjoy watching a specific genre of movies.
The definition of an audience is a collection of people watching or observing something such as a television program, live speaker, or theater performance, or it can refer to people who share a preference for the same type of performance.
audience
- Obs. the act or state of hearing
- a group of persons assembled to hear and see a speaker, a play, a concert, etc.
- all those persons who are tuned in to a particular radio or TV program
- all those persons who read what one writes or hear what one says; one's public
- an opportunity to have one's ideas heard; a hearing
- a formal interview with a person in a high position
Origin of audience
Middle English and Old French from Classical Latin audientia, a hearing, listening from audiens, present participle of audire, to hear from Indo-European an unverified form awiz-dh-io from base an unverified form awis-, to perceive physically, grasp from source aestheteaudience
noun
- a. A group of viewers or listeners, especially those present at a performance (as a play, concert, or lecture) or a public event (as a rally).b. The readership for printed matter, as for a book.c. A group of people who follow or admire an artist or performer: The tenor expanded his audience by recording popular songs as well as opera.
- A formal hearing, as with a religious or state dignitary.
- An opportunity to be heard or to express one's views.
Origin of audience
Middle English from Old French from Latin audientia from audiēns audient- present participle of audīre to hear ; see au- in Indo-European roots.audience
Noun
(plural audiences)
- (now rare) Hearing; the condition or state of hearing or listening. [from 14th c.]
- A group of people within hearing; specifically a group of people listening to a performance, speech etc.; the crowd seeing a stage performance. [from 15th c.]
- We joined the audience just as the lights went down.
- A formal meeting with a state or religious dignitary. [from 16th c.]
- She managed to get an audience with the Pope.
- The readership of a book or other written publication. [from 19th c.]
- "Private Eye" has a small but faithful audience.
- A following. [from 20th c.]
- The opera singer expanded his audience by singing songs from the shows.
Usage notes
- In some dialects, audience is used as a plurale tantum.
- The audience are getting restless.
