symposium

[ sim-poh-zee-uhm ]

noun

, plural sym·po·si·ums, sym·po·si·a [sim-, poh, -zee-, uh].

1. a meeting or conference for the discussion of some subject, especially 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.

symposium

/ sɪmˈpəʊzɪəm /

noun

1. a conference or meeting for the discussion of some subject, esp an academic topic or social problem
2. a collection of scholarly contributions, usually published together, on a given subject
3. (in classical Greece) a drinking party with intellectual conversation, music, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of symposium¹

1580–90; < Latin < Greek sympósion drinking party, equivalent to sym- sym- + po- (variant stem of pī́nein to drink) + -sion noun suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of symposium¹

C16: via Latin from Greek sumposion, from sumpinein to drink together, from sum- syn- + pinein to drink

Example Sentences

"He knew this was a bubbling issue, and so his idea was to bring together a symposium," says Fab 5 Freddy, who was hosting Yo!

From BBC

The same day, Republican Steve Garvey was at Temple University in Pennsylvania, picking up an award at a women’s sports media symposium.

From Los Angeles Times

Jones used his status to try to stem the violence in the hip-hop world, convening the Quincy Jones Hip-Hop Symposium in 1995, where he addressed a room full of the nation's rap stars.

From BBC

The head of US Space Command, General Stephen Whiting, told a space symposium in April that China and Russia were both investing heavily in space at a “breath-taking speed”.

From BBC

The findings — which show the system falling short in some areas despite improvements — will be discussed this week at a three-day CSU symposium on the Graduation 2025 initiative and the shift toward an expanded view of student success.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• convention
• discussion
• forum
• meeting
• panel discussion
• round table
• seminar