The act of hearing; attention to sounds. [1913 Webster]
"Thou, therefore, give due audience, and attend." [1913 Webster]
Admittance to a hearing; a formal interview, esp. with a sovereign or the head of a government, for conference or the transaction of business. [1913 Webster]
"According to the fair play of the world,
Let me have audience: I am sent to speak." [1913 Webster]
An auditory; an assembly of hearers. Also applied by authors to their readers. [1913 Webster]
"Fit audience find, though few." [1913 Webster]

"He drew his audience upward to the sky." [1913 Webster]

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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OXFORD DICTIONARY

audience, n.
1 a the assembled listeners or spectators at an event, esp. a stage performance, concert, etc. b the people addressed by a film, book, play, etc.
2 a formal interview with a person in authority.
3 archaic a hearing (give audience to my plea).

Etymology

ME f. OF f. L audientia f. audire hear

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THESAURUS

audience

accepter, acquirer, addressee, aficionado, attender, attention, audition, auditor, auditory, bargaining, bargaining session, beholder, buff, bugging, claqueur, clientage, clientele, conclave, confab, confabulation, conference, confrontation, congregation, congress, consideration, consignee, consultation, convention, council, council fire, council of war, deadhead, discussion, ear, eavesdropping, electronic surveillance, exchange of views, eyeball-to-eyeball encounter, fan, favorable attention, frequenter, gallery, getter, groundling, habitue, haunter, hearer, hearing, high-level talk, hired applauder, holder, house, huddle, interchange of views, interview, listener, listening, listening in, looker, meeting, moviegoer, negotiations, news conference, obtainer, orchestra, palaver, parley, pass holder, patron, payee, pit, playgoer, pourparler, powwow, press conference, procurer, public, receiver, recipient, seance, session, sitting, spectator, standee, summit, summit conference, summitry, taker, theater, theatergoer, trustee, tryout, viewer, visitor, wiretapping

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ROGET THESAURUS

audience

Allocution

N allocution, alloquy, address, speech, apostrophe, interpellation, appeal, invocation, salutation, word in the ear, dialogism, platform, plank, audience.

Conversation

N conversation, interlocution, collocution, colloquy, converse, confabulation, talk, discourse, verbal intercourse, oral communication, commerce, dialogue, duologue, trialogue, causerie, chat, chitchat, small talk, table talk, teatable talk, town talk, village talk, idle talk, tattle, gossip, tittle-tattle, babble, babblement, tripotage, cackle, prittle-prattle, cancan, on dit, talk of the town, talk of the village, conference, parley, interview, audience, pourparler, tete-a-tete, reception, conversazione, congress, powwow, hall of audience, durbar, palaver, debate, logomachy, war of words, gossip, tattler, Paul Pry, tabby, chatterer, interlocutor, conversationist, dialogist, the feast of reason and the flow of soul, mollia tempora fandi, conversing, interlocutory, conversational, conversable, discursive, discoursive, chatty, colloquial, with thee conversing I forget all time.

Hearing

N hearing, audition, auscultation, eavesdropping, audibility, acute ear, nice ear, delicate ear, quick ear, sharp ear, correct ear, musical ear, ear for music, ear, auricle, lug, acoustic organs, auditory apparatus, eardrum, tympanum, tympanic membrane, ear trumpet, speaking trumpet, hearing aid, stethoscope, earshot, hearing distance, hearing, hearing range, sound, carrying distance, telephone, phone, telephone booth, intercom, house phone, radiotelephone, radiophone, wireless, wireless telephone, mobile telephone, car radio, police radio, two-way radio, walkie-talkie, handie-talkie, citizen's band, CB, amateur radio, ham radio, short-wave radio, police band, ship-to-shore radio, airplane radio, control tower communication, (communication), electronic devices, phonograph, gramophone, megaphone, phonorganon, microphone, directional microphone, mike, hand mike, lapel microphone, phonograph needle, stylus, diamond stylus, pickup, reading head (electronic devices), hearer, auditor, listener, eavesdropper, listener-in, auditory, audience, otology, otorhinolaryngology, otologist, otorhinolaryngologist, hearing, auditory, auricular, acoustic, phonic, arrectis auribus, Int, hark, hark ye!, hear!, list, listen!, O yes!, Oyez!, listen up, listen here!, hear ye!, attention!, achtung.

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