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Synonyms

museum

American  
[myoo-zee-uhm] / myuˈzi əm /

noun

  1. a building or place where works of art, scientific specimens, or other objects of permanent value are kept and displayed.

museum British  
/ mjuːˈzɪəm /

noun

  1. a place or building where objects of historical, artistic, or scientific interest are exhibited, preserved, or studied

"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

Other Word Forms

  • intermuseum adjective

Etymology

Origin of museum

1605–15; < Latin mūsēum place sacred to the Muses, building devoted to learning or the arts (referring especially to the scholarly institute founded in Alexandria about 280 b.c.) < Greek Mouseîon, equivalent to Moûs ( a ) Muse + -eion suffix of place

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He shared the idea with his colleague Mitchell Riegler, another doctoral student at the museum.

From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2026

It feels more like a museum than a typical antique mall, and I always discover something new.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

The expanded Los Angeles County Museum of Art is the unrivaled U.S. museum relaunch of the year.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

It wasn't like a museum, and I thought 'I belong here'.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

Cops, firefighters, and paramedics crowd the outside of the museum to check out the earthquake damage.

From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.