town hall

noun

1
: a public building used for town-government offices and meetings
2
: an event at which a public official or political candidate addresses an audience by answering questions posed by individual members
Town halls have lost some of their spontaneity. The 80 or so undecided voters chosen for Tuesday's event must submit their questions in advance and moderator Candy Crowley of CNN will decide which people to call on.—Connie Cass

Examples of town hall in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
During a recent town hall at the Ivy League school, one student raised the question of a Greek life ban, asking student organizers if taking that step might improve the culture on campus. — Brittany Shammas, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026 Wednesday night, Talarico was questioned on his Christian beliefs by Sarah Gardner, a Republican voter from Round Rock, on a CNN town hall in Fort Worth. — Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Oct. 2026 Beyond in-person appearances, Vance will be on television for a town hall hosted by CBS News. — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 16 Oct. 2026 During the show, CNN said that Republican Ken Paxton has not responded to their invitation to take part in a town hall, but that the invitation stands. — Jack Fink, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for town hall

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of town hall was in the 15th century

Rhymes for town hall

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Browse Nearby Words

towngate
town hall
townhome
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Cite this Entry

“Town hall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/town%20hall. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

town hall

noun
: a public building used for offices and meetings of town government
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