late 14c., “the action of hearing,” from Old French audience, from Latin audentia “a hearing, listening,” from audientum (nominative audiens), present participle of audire “to hear,” from compound au-dh- “to perceive physically, grasp,” from root au– “to perceive” (cognates: Greek aisthanesthai “to feel;” Sanskrit avih, Avestan avish “openly, evidently;” Old Church Slavonic javiti “to reveal”). Meaning “formal hearing or reception” is from late 14c.; that of “persons within hearing range, assembly of listeners” is from early 15c. (French audience retains only the older senses). Sense transferred 1855 to “readers of a book.”
Audience-participation first recorded 1940.
