symposium

C1 Topic:Communication

US /sɪmˈpoʊ.zi.əm/ UK /sɪmˈpəʊ.zi.əm/ See IPA manual

Freq #26227

Meanings

1

noun
a formal meeting at which specialists give presentations and discuss a particular subject

The university hosted a symposium on the future of constitutional government.
2

noun
a published collection of articles or essays by several contributors on one subject

The journal issued a symposium in which six historians debated the new interpretation.
3

noun
in ancient Greece, a drinking party accompanied by conversation, music, or philosophical discussion

At the symposium, the guests mixed wine with water and debated the nature of justice.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a formal meeting at which... conference colloquium forum

2 noun · a published collection of... collection anthology

3 noun · in ancient greece, a... drinking partybanquet

Word family

Forms symposiums

Derived forms symposiacsymposiastsymposiarch

Related forms seminar conference banquet

Etymology

Through Latin symposium from Ancient Greek symposion, 'drinking party', formed from syn, 'together', and pinein, 'to drink'. The ancient gathering joined wine with conversation; the modern scholarly sense developed from that association with organized discussion.

Topics

Communication

External links

# symposium

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /sɪmˈpoʊ.zi.əm/
**IPA (UK):** /sɪmˈpəʊ.zi.əm/
**Frequency rank:** 26227

## Meanings
1. a formal meeting at which specialists give presentations and discuss a particular subject
2. a published collection of articles or essays by several contributors on one subject
3. in ancient Greece, a drinking party accompanied by conversation, music, or philosophical discussion

## Examples
- The university hosted a symposium on the future of constitutional government.
- The journal issued a symposium in which six historians debated the new interpretation.
- At the symposium, the guests mixed wine with water and debated the nature of justice.

## Synonyms
- conference
- colloquium
- forum

## Derived Forms
- symposiac
- symposiast
- symposiarch

## Related Forms
- seminar
- conference
- banquet

## Etymology
Through Latin symposium from Ancient Greek symposion, 'drinking party', formed from syn, 'together', and pinein, 'to drink'. The ancient gathering joined wine with conversation; the modern scholarly sense developed from that association with organized discussion.

## Topics
- Communication

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