Audience definition

ôdē-əns
audiences
See word origin
Frequency:
A formal hearing, as with a religious or state dignitary.
noun
39
9
A group of persons assembled to hear and see a speaker, a play, a concert, etc.
noun
29
7
All those persons who are tuned in to a particular radio or TV program.
noun
17
9
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.

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.

noun
5
2
A following. [from 20th c.]

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

noun
2
1
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An opportunity to be heard or to express one's views.
noun
0
0
A group of viewers or listeners of a work of art or entertainment, especially those present at a performance.
noun
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The readership for printed matter, as for a book.
noun
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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.

noun
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(now rare) Hearing; the condition or state of hearing or listening. [from 14th c.]
noun
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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.

noun
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0
A formal meeting with a state or religious dignitary. [from 16th c.]

She managed to get an audience with the Pope.

noun
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The readership of a book or other written publication. [from 19th c.]

"Private Eye" has a small but faithful audience.

noun
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(obs.) The act or state of hearing.
noun
4
5
An opportunity to have one's ideas heard; a hearing.
noun
4
5
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A formal interview with a person in a high position.
noun
3
5
All those persons who read what one writes or hear what one says; one's public.
noun
4
7

Other Word Forms

Noun

Singular:
audience
Plural:
audiences

Origin of audience

  • Middle English from Old French from Latin audientia from audiēns audient- present participle of audīre to hear au- in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • From Old French audience, from Latin audientia, from present participle audiens "hearing", from verb audio, "I hear".

    From Wiktionary

Audience Sentence Examples

  • The audience laughed and he glanced up at the stage.

  • This officer's audience lasted a long time.

  • Prince Vasili sternly declaimed, looking round at his audience as if to inquire whether anyone had anything to say to the contrary.

  • Hannah sat and began talking about Paris again to an audience eager to hear her.

  • Cynthia wasn't finished, but now her sole audience was David Dean.

More sentences

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Also Mentioned In

Words near audience in the Dictionary