gymnasium

noun

gym·​na·​si·​um

sense 1

jim-ˈnā-zē-əm 

-zhəm;

sense 2 is usually

gim-ˈnä-zē-əm 

plural gymnasiums or gymnasia

sense 1

jim-ˈnā-zē-ə 

-zhə;

 sense 2 is usually  gim-ˈnä-zē-ə

1

a

: a large room used for various indoor sports (such as basketball or boxing) and usually equipped with gymnastic apparatus

b

: a building (as on a college campus) containing space and equipment for various indoor sports activities and usually including spectator accommodations, locker and shower rooms, offices, classrooms, and a swimming pool

2

[German, from Latin, school] : a European secondary school that prepares students for the university

Synonyms

• gym
• health club
• health spa
• spa

Examples of gymnasium in a Sentence

since it was raining, the kids had recess in the gymnasium

Recent Examples on the Web

Each of 24 students had to have a science project (with functional practical effects, unfortunately cut for time), and then there had to be enough others present to explore the fair and fill out the gymnasium. —Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 9 Feb. 2025

Later in the day, the books and furniture saved were stored in the gymnasium. —Contributed Content, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025

What is Justin? Down the hall from Justin’s development offices, in a small gymnasium with worn wooden floors, several dozen retirees sat around foldable plastic tables with paper plates of catered Whataburger at hand. —Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Feb. 2025

The Spy Ponders have been unable to play on their home court due to new school construction, causing them instead to use the old Waltham High School gymnasium and Ottoson Middle School. —Matt Feld, Boston Herald, 25 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin, exercise ground, school, from Greek gymnasion, from gymnazein to exercise naked, from gymnos naked — more at naked

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

gymnasium

noun

gym·​na·​si·​um jim-ˈnā-zē-əm  -zhəm 

plural gymnasiums or gymnasia

-zē-ə,

-zhə

: a room or building for sports activities

Etymology

from Latin gymnasium "exercise ground, school," from Greek gymnasion (same meaning), from gymnazein "to exercise naked," from gymnos "naked"