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symposium

 - 2 dictionary results

sym⋅po⋅si⋅um

  [sim-poh-zee-uhm]
Use symposium in a Sentence
–noun, plural -si⋅ums, -si⋅a  [-zee-uh] .
1. a meeting or conference for the discussion of some subject, esp. a meeting at which several speakers talk on or discuss a topic before an audience.
2. a collection of opinions expressed or articles contributed by several persons on a given subject or topic.
3. an account of a discussion meeting or of the conversation at it.
4. (in ancient Greece and Rome) a convivial meeting, usually following a dinner, for drinking and intellectual conversation.
5. (initial capital letter, italics) a philosophical dialogue (4th century b.c.) by Plato, dealing with ideal love and the vision of absolute beauty.
Origin:
1580–90; < L < Gk sympósion drinking party, equiv. to sym- sym- + po- (var. s. of pnein to drink) + -sion n. suffix
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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sym·po·si·um   (sĭm-pō'zē-əm)   
n.   pl. sym·po·si·ums or sym·po·si·a (-zē-ə)

  1. A meeting or conference for discussion of a topic, especially one in which the participants form an audience and make presentations.

  2. A collection of writings on a particular topic, as in a magazine.

  3. A convivial meeting for drinking, music, and intellectual discussion among the ancient Greeks.


[Latin, drinking party, from Greek sumposion : sun-, syn- + posis, drinking; see pō(i)- in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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