Symposium
/sɪmˈpoʊ.zi.əm/noun
A conference or meeting for discussion, especially on a particular topic.
Did you know?In ancient Greece, the symposion was the after-dinner drinking session where elite men reclined, debated, sang, and played games, so the word’s history is tied to ritualized social intoxication rather than sober academia.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sem-
“one, together”
Ancient Greek
Greek
συμπίνειν (sympinein) / συμπόσιον (symposion)
“to drink together / a drinking party”
Classical Latin
Latin
symposium
“a learned conversation or banquet”
Late Medieval Latin
Latin
symposium
“a formal discussion or treatise”
Modern English
English
symposium
“a conference or scholarly meeting”
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