aquarium

noun

aquar·​i·​um ə-ˈkwer-ē-əm 

plural aquariums or aquaria ə-ˈkwer-ē-ə 

1

: a container (such as a glass tank) or an artificial pond in which living aquatic animals or plants are kept

2

: an establishment where aquatic organisms are kept and exhibited

Examples of aquarium in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The museum is also creating a Pixar Pass that will connect concepts from the exhibit to other parts of Frost, including the planetarium and aquarium. — Megan Fitzgerald, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026

Other cats found the aquarium's dim blue environment calming and closed their eyes for a little nap. — ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026

Since the historic laying, the eggs have been moved to an aquarium in Long Beach for safekeeping. — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026

Bringing them to the aquarium to keep them alive likely causes great trauma to the whales after many years of being left alone. — Chicago Tribune, 26 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

probably alteration of aquatic vivarium

First Known Use

circa 1847, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing aquarium

• tropical aquarium

Rhymes for aquarium

• cerium
• armamentarium
• herbarium
• ovarium
• puparium
• samarium
• solarium
• zoarium
• honorarium
• planetarium
• sanitarium

Kids Definition

aquarium

noun

aquar·​i·​um ə-ˈkwar-ē-əm 

-ˈkwer-

plural aquariums or aquaria

-ē-ə

: a container (as a glass tank) in which living water animals or plants are kept

also : an establishment where collections of such animals or plants are kept and shown