What does "symposium" mean?

1. (academic conference) a formal meeting where experts give short talks and discuss a specific subject. 2. (collection of essays) a book or journal that contains several articles by different authors about the same topic. 3. (Ancient Greek party) a social meeting in Ancient Greece for drinking and intellectual conversation.

How do you use "symposium"?

Often takes the preposition 'on' to indicate the subject matter.

symposium

US //sɪmˈpoʊziəm// UK //sɪmpˈəʊsiəm// sym·po·sium

1 academic conference (n.)
C1 Advanced Academic Formal

a formal meeting where experts give short talks and discuss a specific subject.

a formal meeting or conference for the discussion of a particular subject, typically featuring multiple speakers and presentations.

Example

The university is hosting a symposium on climate change next month.

Example

The international symposium on renewable energy attracted leading researchers from across the globe to discuss recent breakthroughs in battery technology.

Usage

Often takes the preposition 'on' to indicate the subject matter.
- conference
- seminar
- colloquium
2 collection of essays (n.)
C1 Advanced Academic

a book or journal that contains several articles by different authors about the same topic.

a published collection of essays or papers on a specific subject by several contributors.

Example

The journal published a symposium of articles regarding the new economic policy.

Example

The latest issue of the quarterly review features a symposium of five essays exploring the ethical implications of artificial intelligence in healthcare.

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3 Ancient Greek party (n.)
C2 Proficiency Technical Archaic

a social meeting in Ancient Greece for drinking and intellectual conversation.

a social gathering in Ancient Greece, typically following a banquet, characterised by drinking, music, and philosophical discussion.

Example

Plato's famous book describes a symposium where guests talk about the nature of love.

Example

In classical Athens, the symposium served as a vital institution for the transmission of cultural values and the fostering of political alliances among the elite.

Teacher's tip

This sense is primarily used in historical or literary contexts; modern speakers almost exclusively use the word for academic conferences.

Origin

Borrowed from Latin symposium, from Ancient Greek συμπόσιον (sumpósion, “drinking party”) from συμπίνω (sumpínō, “drink together”) συν- (sun-, “together-”) + πίνω (pínō, “drink”).