AUDIENCE.From Lat. audientia; audience means in AV [Note: Authorized Version.] the act of hearing, as Luk_20:45 in the audience of all the people. Now it means the people gathered to hear.
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible
Edited by James Hastings, D.D. Published in 1909
ô?di-ens: Translated from the Hebrew אזן, 'ōzen, ?ear.? In Gen_23:10 f ?in the audience of? is equal to ?in the presence of,? or ?while they listened.? Compare Exo_24:7; 1Sa_25:24 (Revised Version (British and American) ?in thine ears?); 1Ch_28:8; Neh_13:1. In the New Testament the expression ?to give audience? (Act_22:22; Act_13:16, the Revised Version (British and American) ?hearken?; Act_15:12, the Revised Version (British and American) ?they hearkened?) translated from the Greek ἀκούω, akoúō ?to hear? or derivatives, and means ?to listen,? ?to pay attention.? In the King James Version Luk_7:1 (Revised Version, ?in the ears of?) and the King James Version Luk_20:45 (Revised Version, ?in the hearing of?) the usage is similar to that of the Old Testament.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
PRINTER 1915.
Audience
a court formerly held by the archbishops of either province of England; that of Canterbury was removed from the palace to the Consistory Place of St. Paulus. All cases, whether contentious or voluntary, which were reserved for the archbishop's hearing were tried here; and the evidence was prepared by officers called auditors. When the court was no longer held in the palace, the jurisdiction was exercised by the master and official of the Audience. He is now represented by the vicar-general, official of the Arches and Audience, whose court was held in the hall of Doctors' Commons.
CYCLOPEDIA OF BIBLICAL, THEOLOGICAL AND ECCLESIASTICAL
press 1895.