forum

[ fawr-uhm, fohr-uhm ]
See synonyms for forum on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural fo·rums, fo·ra [fawr-uh, fohr-uh]. /ˈfɔr ə, ˈfoʊr ə/.
  1. the marketplace or public square of an ancient Roman city, the center of judicial and business affairs and a place of assembly for the people.

  2. a court or tribunal: the forum of public opinion.

  1. an assembly, meeting place, television program, etc., for the discussion of questions of public interest.

  2. Also called online forum, internet forum, web forum . message board.

  3. the Forum, the forum in the ancient city of Rome.

Origin of forum

1
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Latin: “marketplace, public place,” akin to forīs, forās “outside,” foris door

Words that may be confused with forum

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use forum in a sentence

  • His book “is a study of effective speechmaking, for members of labour unions, conferences, forums and other discussion groups.”

    When Winter Comes to Main Street | Grant Martin Overton
  • There they competed on alternate forums with literate gardeners and stuttering horticultural amateurs.

  • Victoria Park is one of those open forums where every man with a sore spot goes out to air his grievance.

    A Labrador Doctor | Wilfred Thomason Grenfell
  • Not only were the forums for dramatic presentation now restricted, but so was professional freedom.

    The Case of Mrs. Clive | Catherine Clive
  • The Forums and the Campus Martius were filled with people warmed by a sun of growing heat.

    Quo Vadis | Henryk Sienkiewicz

British Dictionary definitions for forum (1 of 2)

forum

/ (ˈfɔːrəm) /


nounplural -rums or -ra (-rə)
  1. a meeting or assembly for the open discussion of subjects of public interest

  2. a medium for open discussion, such as a magazine

  1. a public meeting place for open discussion

  2. a court; tribunal

  3. (in South Africa) a pressure group of leaders or representatives, esp Black leaders or representatives

  4. (in ancient Italy) an open space, usually rectangular in shape, serving as a city's marketplace and centre of public business

Origin of forum

1
C15: from Latin: public place; related to Latin foris outside

British Dictionary definitions for Forum (2 of 2)

Forum

Forum Romanum

/ (rəʊˈmɑːnəm) /


noun
  1. the Forum the main forum of ancient Rome, situated between the Capitoline and the Palatine Hills

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012