forum

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
forum /ˈfɔːrəm/

▶noun (pl. forums)

• 1 a meeting or medium for an exchange of views.

• 2 chiefly N. Amer. a court or tribunal.

• 3 (pl. fora) (in an ancient Roman city) a public square or marketplace used for judicial and other business.

– origin ME: from L., lit. ‘what is out of doors’.