Pl. acroamata. [Gr. ἀκρόᾱμα anything heard, f. ἀκροᾶσθαι to hear.]
1. A rhetorical declamation (as opposed to an argument).
1852. Sir W. Hamilton, Disc., 153. Facciolati expanded the argument of Pacius … into a special Acroama; but his eloquence was not more effective than the reasoning of his predecessors.
2. Anc. Phil. Oral teaching heard only by initiated disciples; esoteric doctrines, as distinguished from the exoteric, which might be committed to writing, and published to the world.
1580. North, Plutarch (1676), 561. Alexander did … learn of Aristotle … other more secret, hard, and grave Doctrine, which Aristotles Scholars do properly call Acroamata.
