turnout
TURN-owt
/ˈtɜːrnaʊt/
The number of people who attend an event, meeting, or concert.
Measures audience size relative to promoter expectations.
The story behind the word. Originated in 18th-century English from the phrase 'to turn out', meaning leaving home to gather in public. By the 1830s, it became a noun for total crowd size.
Word relationships
- attendance: 'Attendance' is the formal tally; 'turnout' highlights people traveling out to assemble.
Commonly confused with
- output: 'Output' is goods produced; 'turnout' is people gathered at an event.
Word family
- turn out (phrasal verb): to assemble or attend a public gathering
Collocations
- massive turnout
- poor turnout
- voter turnout
- unexpected turnout
Example sentences
- "Despite the heavy rain, the outdoor concert saw an impressive turnout of over five thousand fans." Event report
- "A poor turnout at the midweek gig caused the promoter to reconsider future event dates." Show outcome
Memory hook
TURNOUT is how many people TURN OUT of their homes to attend. TURNOUT = attendance size.
When not to use
Do not use for financial revenue calculations or technical setups.
Fun facts
- The largest recorded concert turnout occurred in 1994, when Rod Stewart played for 3.5 million people on Rio's Copacabana Beach.
Explore more words
engagement, plurality, disenfranchise, suffrage, apathy, civic
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