Audience Meaning
/ˈɔːdi.əns/Definition, CEFR level A2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounA group of people within hearing; specifically, a large gathering of people listening to or watching a performance, speech, etc.
nounHearing; the condition or state of hearing or listening.
Sentence Examples
It requires wisdom to understand wisdom: the music is nothing if the audience is deaf.
The audience acclaimed the actors for their performance.
The talented pianist performed before a large and enthusiastic audience.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The comedian told a joke that made the entire ____ burst into laughter.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The large ____ clapped loudly after the singers finished the show.
Word Origin & History
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.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"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."
— 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter V, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC, page 26:
"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!"
— 1952 February, H. C. Casserley, “Permanent Wayfarings”, in Railway Magazine, page 77:
"WHen he had ended all his ſayingꝭ in the audience of the people / he entred ĩto Capernaum."
— 1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Luke vij:[1], folio lxxxiiij, verso:
"... 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;[…]"
— 1861, Eclectic Magazine, and Monthly Edition of the Living Age, page 453:
"Captain Anderson: Sounds like you convinced the Council to give us an audience.
Ambassador Udina: They were not happy about it. Saren's their top agent. They don't like him being accused of treason."
— 2008, BioWare, Mass Effect, Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Citadel:
Explore More A2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The comedian told a joke that made the entire ____ burst into laughter.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The large ____ clapped loudly after the singers finished the show.