forum

[fawr-uhm]

noun

plural

forums, fora 

1. the marketplace or public square of an ancient Roman city, the center of judicial and business affairs and a place of assembly for the people.

2. a court or tribunal.

   the forum of public opinion.

3. an assembly, meeting place, television program, etc., for the discussion of questions of public interest.

4. Also called online forum,. Also called internet forum,. Also called web forum. message board.

5. the Forum, the forum in the ancient city of Rome.

forum

¹

/ ˈfɔːrəm /

noun

1. a meeting or assembly for the open discussion of subjects of public interest

2. a medium for open discussion, such as a magazine

3. a public meeting place for open discussion

4. a court; tribunal

5. (in South Africa) a pressure group of leaders or representatives, esp Black leaders or representatives

6. (in ancient Italy) an open space, usually rectangular in shape, serving as a city's marketplace and centre of public business

Forum

²

/ rəʊˈmɑːnəm /

noun

1. the main forum of ancient Rome, situated between the Capitoline and the Palatine Hills

Word History and Origins

Origin of forum¹

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Latin: “marketplace, public place,” akin to forīs, forās “outside,” foris door

Word History and Origins

Origin of forum¹

C15: from Latin: public place; related to Latin foris outside

Example Sentences

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum wrote on X: "Those who genuinely want the hostages home should advance the agreement that is waiting for the Israeli government's discussion and response, and leverage it toward a comprehensive deal for the return of all the hostages."

From BBC

"The manoeuvring in Gaza City poses a real threat to the hostages, both the living and the deceased who could disappear forever," the Hostages and Missing Families Forum warned.

From BBC

There's been the much publicised attempt at a rapprochement with China, and striking images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi sharing a limousine ride with Russian President Vladimir Putin splashed across the media from the sidelines of a security forum meeting in Tianjin.

From BBC

The city has been preparing for the Kremlin leader's visit and participation in the Eastern Economic Forum.

From BBC

The visa ban flashes a neon sign over the session, heightens the news interest, dramatizes the political conflict—and gives the Palestinians and their champions a high-profile forum to state their case.

From Slate

Related Words

• conference 
• convention 
• gathering 
• seminar 
• symposium 

When To Use

Plural word for forum

The plural form of forum can be either forums or fora. Forums is more widely used. The plurals of several other singular words that end in -um are formed in this way, including gum/gums, possum/possums, or geranium/geraniums. Irregular plurals that are formed like fora, such as curriculum/curricula and memorandum/memoranda, derive directly from their original pluralization in Latin. However, the standard English plural -s ending is often also acceptable for these terms, as in curriculums and memorandums.