forum

noun

fo·​rum ˈfȯr-əm 

plural forums also fora ˈfȯr-ə 

1

a

: the marketplace or public place of an ancient Roman city forming the center of judicial and public business

b

: a public meeting place for open discussion

The club provides a forum for people interested in local history.

c

: a medium (such as a newspaper or online service) of open discussion or expression of ideas

2

: a judicial body or assembly : court

3

a

: a public meeting or lecture involving audience discussion

The town has scheduled a public forum to discuss the proposal.

b

: a program (as on radio or television) involving discussion of a problem usually by several authorities

Synonyms of forum

• symposium
• seminar
• conference
• panel

Examples of forum in a Sentence

Forums were held to determine how to handle the situation.

The town has scheduled a public forum to discuss the proposal.

The club provides a forum for people who share an interest in local history.

Recent Examples on the Web

The loss spread like shock waves, resulting in thousands of comments across social media and online forums, as well as multiple essays from fans young and old. — Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026

The forum organized by Sachs was meant to be a listening session to determine the future of wetlands and farmland in the Ag Reserve, a huge swath of land west of Florida’s Turnpike. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 8 Oct. 2026

The earliest guidebooks had included descriptions of places, but with the march of modernity, travelers could see photos of sites, contact guides and reserve accommodations in advance, and share information in online forums. — Shay Rabineau, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2026

Dominguez also denied any inappropriate behavior during a forum Tuesday night. — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin; akin to Latin foris outside, fores door — more at door

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for forum

• aurum
• foram
• quorum
• decorum
• picloram
• pullorum
• digitorum
• variorum
• neonatorum

Kids Definition

forum

noun

fo·​rum ˈfōr-əm 

ˈfȯr-

plural forums also fora -ə 

1

: the marketplace or public place of an ancient Roman city serving as the center of public business

2

: a means (as a newspaper or online service) of open discussion or expression of ideas

3

: a meeting or program involving discussion

Legal Definition

forum

noun

fo·​rum ˈfō-rəm 

1

: public forum

2

a

: a judicial body or assembly : court

allowed the defendant in a state court action to choose the federal forum by removing the case

—M. H. Redish

b

: the territorial jurisdiction of a court

due process requires defendant to have minimum level of contacts with forum before personal jurisdiction may be exercised

—National Law Journal