audience
UK[ˈɔːdiəns]US[ˈɑːdiəns]
n
The group of people who have gathered to watch or listen to a play, film, speaker, etc.
n
The people who read a particular book, watch a particular television programme, or visit a particular website.
n
A formal meeting with a very important person.
Morpheme Breakdown
audi
ence
audi
hear
ence
noun suffix
Etymology
The word "audience" originates from the Latin audientia, meaning "a hearing, listening," which itself derives from the present participle audiens (hearing) of the verb audīre (to hear). This Latin verb can be traced back to the Proto-Indo-European root h₂ew-, meaning "to perceive" or "to be aware of," a root also giving rise to words like "audio" and "obey." The literal sense of "a group of listeners" evolved from the formal act of being granted a hearing by a sovereign or dignitary. Over time, the meaning broadened to encompass any assembled group of listeners or spectators, and further extended metaphorically to the readership or viewership of any media.
Analysis
Structure: audi (hear) + ence (noun suffix)
- audi: From Latin audīre, meaning "to hear". It functions as the core root conveying the sense of hearing or listening.
- ence: A noun-forming suffix of Latin origin (-entia), indicating a state, quality, or condition. It transforms the verb concept into a noun denoting a collective body or state related to the root.
Examples
The audience applauded enthusiastically at the end of the concert.
This magazine is aimed at a young adult audience.
The ambassador was granted an audience with the Queen.