# audience

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈɔː.di.əns/ · frequency rank #1,888

## Definitions
1. A group of people within hearing; specifically, a large gathering of people listening to or watching a performance, speech, etc.
2. Hearing; the condition or state of hearing or listening.
3. A widespread or nationwide viewing or listening public, as of a TV or radio network or program.
4. A formal meeting with a state or religious dignitary.
5. The readership of a book or other written publication.
6. A following.
7. An audiencia (judicial court of the Spanish empire), or the territory administered by it.

## Etymology
From Middle English audience, from Middle French audience, from Old French audience, from Latin audientia, from present participle audiēns (“hearing”), from verb audiō (“to hear”). Doublet of audiencia.

## Easily confused with
- **ambience** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ambience-vs-audience)

## Common misspellings (11)
`aduience`, `auddience`, `audeince`, `audiance`, `audiecne`, `audiencce`, `audienec`, `audiennce`, `audinece`, `auidence`, `uadience`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/audience