noun
audience
AW-dee-uns/ˈɔːdiəns/
A group of people who receive or are intended to receive a presentation or message.
The audience faces the violinist on the small stage.
Etymology
Originally the act of hearing, audience came to mean the people doing the listening. That collective meaning later extended to readers and television viewers, not just people within hearing range.
In context
Because most of the tales were familiar to the audience, it was common to hear the sections of the poem out of order.
More examples
- Several audiences saw the touring production.
- The article reached a wide audience.
- She adapted the talk for a younger audience.
Forms
audience · audiences
Similar words
- spectators
- People watching an event rather than readers or listeners generally.
- readership
- The audience specifically for written material.