Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
audience
au‧di‧ence S2 W2 /ˈɔːdiəns $ ˈɒː-, ˈɑː-/ noun
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: Latin audientia 'hearing', from audire; ⇨ audio]
1. [countable also + plural verb] British English a group of people who come to watch and listen to someone speaking or performing in public:
• The audience began clapping and cheering.
audience of
• an audience of 250 business people
• One member of the audience described the opera as ‘boring’.
2. [countable also + plural verb] British English the people who watch or listen to a particular programme, or who see or hear a particular artist’s, writer’s etc work:
• The show attracts a regular audience of about 20 million.
target audience (=the type of people that a programme, advertisement etc is supposed to attract)
• Goya was one of the first painters to look for a wider audience for his work.
• The book is not intended for a purely academic audience.
3. [countable] a formal meeting with a very important person
audience with
• He was granted an audience with the Pope.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS(for Meaning 1)■ verbs
▪ perform/play to an audience • The band played to huge audiences in Mexico City and Buenos Aires.
▪ an audience laughs • He has the ability to make an audience laugh.
▪ an audience claps • Most of the audience clapped but a few people jeered.
▪ an audience cheers • The audience cheered loudly when he came on stage.
▪ the audience boos • She swore at the audience and they began to boo her.
■ adjectives
▪ a capacity/packed audience (=the largest number of people who can fit into a hall, theatre etc) • The lecture attracted a capacity audience.
▪ an enthusiastic audience • They drew enthusiastic audiences at Europe's biggest rock festival.
■ NOUN + audience
▪ stadium audiences • Celine Dion's tour continues to play to sold-out stadium audiences across Europe.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS(for Meaning 2)■ verbs
▪ have an audience • The programme has a massive audience, ranging from children to grandparents.
▪ attract an audience (=make people want to watch) • The first show attracted a television audience of more than 2 million.
▪ reach an audience • For an advertiser who wants to reach a large audience, television news easily surpasses other news media.
▪ appeal to an audience (=be interesting to them) • They brought new fashions into their designs to appeal to a wider audience.
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + audience
▪ a large/huge etc audience • Messages posted on the Internet can attract a huge audience.
▪ a wide audience • an author who commands a wide audience
▪ a worldwide audience • The game has an ever-increasing worldwide audience.
▪ a young/teenage audience • a magazine with a young audience
▪ an older audience • The programme mainly appeals to an older audience.
▪ a mass audience (=a very large number of people) • Radio brought entertainment to a mass audience.
▪ a television audience (=all the people who watch or listen to a particular programme) • Nearly half the UK television audience watched the programme last Tuesday.
▪ the target audience (=the type of people a programme etc aims to attract) • The target audience is mostly men aged 28 to 35.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ interview a meeting in which someone is asked questions, to find out if they are suitable for a job, or to help the police find out about a crime. Also used about someone being asked questions on TV, in a newspaper, in a magazine etc: • I’ve got another job interview tomorrow. | • Since the police interview, she had changed her statement. | • an interview with Keith Richards
▪ interrogation an occasion when someone is asked a lot of questions for a long time in order to get information, sometimes using threats, usually by the police or the army: • He claims he was tortured during his interrogation. | • Police interrogation methods have been questioned.
▪ cross-examination an occasion when someone is asked questions about what they have just said, in order to see if they are telling the truth, especially in a court of law: • Under cross-examination, the only witness said she could not be sure about what she saw.
▪ consultation a meeting with a doctor or an expert to discuss treatment or to get advice: • The therapist charges $100 for a half hour consultation. | • Would you like to come back for another consultation?
▪ audience a formal meeting with a very important person: • He was granted an audience with the Pope.
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
audience
audi·ence[audienceaudiences] [ˈɔːdiəns] [ˈɔːdiəns]noun
1. countable + singular or plural verb the group of people who have gathered to watch or listen to sth (a play, concert, sb speaking, etc.)
• The audience was/were clapping for 10 minutes.
• an audience of 10 000
• The debate was televised in front of a live audience.
2. countable a number of people or a particular group of people who watch, read or listen to the same thing
• An audience of millions watched the wedding on TV.
• TV/cinema/movie audiences
• His book reached an even wider audience when it was made into a movie.
• The target audience for this advertisement was mainly teenagers.
3. countable a formal meeting with an important person
• an audience with the Pope
Word Origin:
late Middle English: from Old French, from Latin audientia, from audire ‘hear’.
Thesaurus:
audience noun
1. C+sing./pl. v.
• An audience of millions watched the match.
viewers • • spectators • • listeners •
in front of/before an audience/spectators
attract the audience/viewers/spectators/listeners
a/an audience/viewer/spectator sees/watches sb/sth
2. C
• The target audience was mainly teenagers.
market • • public • • clientele •
a/an audience/market for sth
reach a/an audience/market/wide public
attract/build up a/an audience/market/clientele
Synonyms:
interview
interrogation • audience • consultation
These are all words for a meeting or occasion when sb is asked for information, opinions or advice.
interview • a formal meeting at which sb is asked questions, for example, to see if they are suitable for a particular job or course of study, or in order to find out their opinions about sth: ▪ a job interview
interrogation • the process of asking sb a lot of questions, especially in an aggressive way, in order to get information; an occasion on which this is done: ▪ He confessed after four days ▪ under interrogation ▪.
audience • a formal meeting with an important person: ▪ The Pope granted her a private audience.
consultation • a meeting with an expert, especially a doctor, to get advice or treatment.
an in-depth interview/consultation
a police interview/interrogation
to have/request a(n) interview/audience/consultation with sb
to give/grant sb a(n) interview/audience/consultation
to carry out/conduct an interview/interrogation
Example Bank:
• He prefers playing to live audiences.
• He sought a private audience with the Queen.
• He was trying to convince his audience of his seriousness.
• His core audience is over the age of 35.
• Most movies are designed to appeal to a mainstream audience.
• She regales her audience with funny stories.
• She sought a private audience with the Japanese emperor.
• Some scenes in the movie risk alienating a female audience.
• Such a well-known politician should draw a big audience.
• The Pope granted him an audience.
• The audience cheered loudly.
• The audience roared with laughter.
• The audience was visibly moved.
• The film has thrilled audiences throughout the country.
• The museum is trying to attract a wider audience.
• These artists remain relatively unknown to Western audiences.
• We want to reach a target audience that's younger in age.
• We want to reach a younger target audience.
• Cinema audiences would be more accepting of this sort of advertising.
• The Pope granted her a private audience.
• The audience was clapping for 10 minutes.
• The debate was televised in front of a live audience.
• We played in front of a capacity audience of 15 000.
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
audience
audience (FORMAL MEETING) /ˈɔː.di.ənts/ US /ˈɑː-/
noun [C]
a formal meeting that you have with an important person:
She had a private audience with the king.
audience (GROUP OF PEOPLE) /ˈɔː.di.ənts/ US /ˈɑː-/
group noun [C]
the group of people gathered in one place to watch or listen to a play, film, someone speaking, etc., or the (number of) people watching or listening to a particular television or radio programme, or reading a particular book:
She lectures to audiences all over the world.
The secret to public speaking is to get the audience on your side.
The audience was/were clearly delighted with the performance.
The magic show had a lot of audience participation, with people shouting things to the performers and going up on stage.
The television company has lost a large part of its audience (= the group of people who watch its programmes) since it changed its programming.
Her latest book should appeal to a large audience (= many people will want to read it).
Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary
audience
[ɔ͟ːdiəns]
audiences
1) N-COUNT-COLL The audience at a play, concert, film, or public meeting is the group of people watching or listening to it.
The entire audience broke into loud applause...
He was speaking to an audience of students at the Institute for International Affairs.
2) N-COUNT-COLL: usu with supp The audience for a television or radio programme consists of all the people who watch or listen to it.
→ See also studio audience
The concert will be relayed to a worldwide television audience estimated at one thousand million.
3) N-COUNT-COLL: usu sing The audience of a writer or artist is the people who read their books or look at their work.
Say's writings reached a wide audience during his lifetime...
She began to find a receptive audience for her work.
4) N-COUNT: usu sing, oft N with n If you have an audience with someone important, you have a formal meeting with them.
The Prime Minister will seek an audience with the Queen later this morning.