Au·di·ence n.
1. The act of hearing; attention to sounds.
Thou, therefore, give due audience, and attend. --Milton.
2. Admittance to a hearing; a formal interview, esp. with a sovereign or the head of a government, for conference or the transaction of business.
According to the fair play of the world,
Let me have audience: I am sent to speak. --Shak.
3. An auditory; an assembly of hearers. Also applied by authors to their readers.
Fit audience find, though few. --Milton.
He drew his audience upward to the sky. --Dryden.
Court of audience, or Audience court Eng., a court long since disused, belonging to the Archbishop of Canterbury; also, one belonging to the Archbishop of York. --Mozley & W.
In general (or open) audience, publicly.
To give audience, to listen; to admit to an interview.
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