roundtable

roundtable — noun

1. a meeting in which a group of people share their ideas and opinions on a particu

1.nounB2
Definition

a meeting in which a group of people share their ideas and opinions on a particular subject, with no single person acting as the leader or authority

Example

The university hosted a roundtable on climate change with scientists from six countries.

roundtable + on [topic] — formal context

Iris and her colleagues organized a roundtable to discuss the new education policy.

Common collocations
  • hold a roundtable
  • organize a roundtable
  • host a roundtable
  • participate in a roundtable
  • roundtable discussion
  • roundtable session
  • roundtable on climate change / education / policy
  • roundtable about housing / healthcare
  • roundtable of journalists / experts / community leaders
  • roundtable format
  • roundtable event
Synonyms
  • forum

    more open-ended and may involve a larger audience; a roundtable is typically a smaller group of peers

  • symposium

    more formal and academic, often with prepared speeches; a roundtable is less structured

  • panel

    a panel speaks to an audience; a roundtable involves all participants equally

  • seminar

    a teaching-oriented meeting led by an expert; a roundtable has no designated leader

Antonyms
  • lecture

    one person speaks to listeners; a roundtable involves shared discussion

  • monologue

    a single speaker without interaction; the opposite of mutual exchange

Grammar Patterns

roundtable + on [topic]

roundtable + about [topic]

Usage Note

May be written as one word (roundtable) or two separate words (round table) with no difference in meaning. The one-word form is more common in modern contexts, especially in titles and compound nouns like roundtable discussion.

Common Mistakes

The professor gave a roundtable to the students.
The professor led a roundtable discussion with the students.
a roundtable is an interactive discussion, not a lecture or presentation.
They held a roundtable to decide the winner by vote.
They held a roundtable to exchange views on the proposal.
a roundtable focuses on discussion and sharing perspectives, not on voting or reaching a binding decision.

2. the legendary round table in medieval stories where the knights of King Arthur w

2.nounB2
Definition

the legendary round table in medieval stories where the knights of King Arthur would meet, made with no head so that no member had a seat of higher status than any other

Example

In Arthurian legend, no knight had a seat at the head of the Round Table.

capitalized: the Round Table

Medieval paintings often show King Arthur seated at the centre of the Round Table.

Common collocations
  • the Round Table
  • sit at the Round Table
  • place at the Round Table
  • king of the Round Table
  • centre of the Round Table
  • the legend of the Round Table

Grammar Patterns

the Round Table

Usage Note

Always capitalised (the Round Table) when referring to the Arthurian object. The round table shape was said to prevent arguments over who sat at the head, reflecting the ideal of equality among the knights.

3. the group of brave knights in medieval stories who served King Arthur and gather

3.nounB2
Definition

the group of brave knights in medieval stories who served King Arthur and gathered around the Round Table, known for their code of honour and their search for the Holy Grail

Example

In medieval tales, the Round Table searched for the Holy Grail across many lands.

the Round Table = the knights (metonymy)

Sir Lancelot was the most famous member of the Round Table in Arthurian legend.

Common collocations
  • the Round Table
  • a knight of the Round Table
  • member of the Round Table
  • the Round Table set out / gathered / rode
  • the bravery of the Round Table
  • stories of the Round Table
  • King Arthur and the Round Table
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

the Round Table + singular/plural verb

Usage Note

This is a metonymic sense: the name of the object (the table) stands for the people associated with it (the knights). Always capitalised and preceded by the. Distinguish from sense 2, which refers to the physical table — when you read 'the Round Table set out on a quest,' the subject must be the knights, not the furniture.

Common Mistakes

The Round Table was broken during the battle.' (if meaning the knights)
Many knights of the Round Table fell during the battle.
when you describe physical damage, use sense 2 (the actual table); when you describe actions of people, use sense 3.

Word family

  • round-table
    adjectiveB2
  • round tabler
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe formal meetings where people exchange ideas, but they differ in structure and purpose. A roundtable is the most egalitarian — no single person leads, and all participants contribute equally. A forum is broader and may include audience questions; it is less structured and can involve dozens or hundreds of people. A symposium is more academic: experts deliver prepared talks before a general discussion. A panel features a small group of speakers who present to an audience, who then ask questions — the audience does not participate in the discussion itself. A seminar is instructional, with an expert teaching a small group of students. For example, 'the professor held a seminar on medieval poetry' suggests the professor knows more than the students, whereas 'the professors held a roundtable on medieval poetry' suggests equal exchange among specialists.

forum ↗symposium ↗panel ↗seminar ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • roundtable discussion
  • roundtable session
  • roundtable format
  • roundtable event
  • roundtable participant

Phrases

  • hold a roundtable
  • organize a roundtable
  • host a roundtable
  • participate in a roundtable
  • sit around the roundtable

Prepositions

  • at a/the roundtable
  • around the roundtable
  • roundtable on [topic]
  • roundtable about [topic]

Etymology

Germanic (round)Latin (tabula)English

The word roundtable comes from the combination of 'round' and 'table', referring to the famous Round Table of King Arthur in medieval British legends. The table was made circular so that no knight could claim a seat at the head, symbolising equality. From the 1500s onward, the term was used in English to describe the knights themselves (the Round Table). By the early 1900s, 'round table' had taken on a general meaning: any meeting or discussion among equals, especially in business, politics, and academia, where the idea of equal participation is the defining feature.