round table

/ˈɹaʊn(d).teɪbl̩//ˌɹaʊnd ˈteɪbəl/

noun

A conference at which participants of similar status discuss and exchange views.

Similar
roundtableround-table conference

Meanings

round table1

nounround table (plural round tables)

plural round tables

  1. A conference at which participants of similar status discuss and exchange views.
  2. broadcastingA television show segment in which pundits or reporters discuss current events.
  3. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see round, table.

Round Table2

proper nounthe Round Table
  1. Arthurian legendKing Arthur's table in the Arthurian legend, around which he and his knights congregate, all having equal status since the table has no head.

    Then, after a while, King Arthur said: "Let us go and see if, haply, this youth's name is marked upon any of the seats of the Round Table, for I think it should be there."

    1905, Howard Pyle, The Story of the Champions of the Round Table, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, page 21

Synonyms & antonyms

nouna meeting of peers for discussion and exchange of views

Similar
roundtableround-table conference
Broader
conferencegroup discussion
Also see

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

round table · noun

  1. Middle Englishrounde table
  2. Englishround table

From Middle English rounde table, ronde tabell, equivalent to round + table.

Full word history & related roots →

Round Table · proper noun

  1. Old Frenchtable rounde
  2. Middle Englishrounde table
  3. EnglishRound Table

From Middle English rounde table, table rounde, a calque of Old French table rounde.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Basque Mahai Biribila
  • Mahai BiribilaKing Arthur's table
Bulgarian кръ́гла ма́са, кръгла маса
  • кръ́гла ма́са (krắgla mása)conference
  • кръгла маса (krăgla masa)King Arthur's table
Catalan taula rodona, Taula Rodona
  • taula rodonaconference
  • Taula RodonaKing Arthur's table
Chinese Mandarin 圓桌會議 /圆桌会议
  • 圓桌會議 /圆桌会议 (yuánzhuō huìyì)conference
Czech kulatý stůl
  • kulatý stůlconference
Danish det runde bord
  • det runde bordKing Arthur's table
Dutch rondetafelbespreking, de ronde tafel
  • rondetafelbesprekingconference
  • de ronde tafelKing Arthur's table
Esperanto Ronda Tablo
  • Ronda TabloKing Arthur's table
Finnish pyöreä pöytä
  • pyöreä pöytäconference
French table ronde, Table ronde
  • table rondeconference
  • Table rondeKing Arthur's table
German runder Tisch, Tafelrunde
  • runder Tischconference
  • TafelrundeKing Arthur's table
Greek Στρογγυλή Τράπεζα
  • Στρογγυλή Τράπεζα (Strongylí Trápeza)King Arthur's table
Hebrew השולחן העגול
  • השולחן העגול (hashulkhán hagil)King Arthur's table
Hindi गोलमेज़
  • गोलमेज़ (golmez)conference
Hungarian kerekasztal, kerekasztal
  • kerekasztalconference
  • kerekasztalKing Arthur's table
Indonesian Meja Bundar
  • Meja BundarKing Arthur's table
Italian Tavola Rotonda
  • Tavola RotondaKing Arthur's table
Japanese 円卓会議
  • 円卓会議 (entaku kaigi)conference
Korean 원탁회의, 원탁
  • 원탁회의 (wontakhoe'ui)conference
  • 원탁 (wontak)King Arthur's table
Latin Mēnsa Rotunda
  • Mēnsa RotundaKing Arthur's table
Norwegian det runde bord
  • det runde bordKing Arthur's table
Polish okrągły stół, Okrągły Stół
  • okrągły stółconference
  • Okrągły StółKing Arthur's table
Portuguese mesa redonda, Távola Redonda
  • mesa redondaconference
  • Távola RedondaKing Arthur's table
Romanian masă rotundă
  • masă rotundăconference
Russian кру́глый стол, конфере́нция
  • кру́глый стол (krúglyj stol)conference
  • конфере́нция (konferéncija)conference
Spanish mesa redonda, Mesa Redonda
  • mesa redondaconference
  • Mesa RedondaKing Arthur's table
  • Tabla RedondaKing Arthur's table
Swedish det runda bordet
  • det runda bordetKing Arthur's table
Tagalog Mesang Bilog
  • Mesang BilogKing Arthur's table
Turkish yuvarlak masa
  • yuvarlak masaconference
Ukrainian кру́глий сті́л, кру́глий стіл
  • кру́глий сті́л (krúhlyj stíl)conference
  • кру́глий стіл (krúhlyj stil)King Arthur's table
Welsh y Ford Gron
  • y Ford GronKing Arthur's table
Cite this entry
APA

round table. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/round%20table

MLA

“round table.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/round%20table. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “round table,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/round%20table.

Source: round table on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.