conference

[ kon-fer-uhns, -fruhns ]

noun

1. a meeting for consultation or discussion:

   a conference between a student and his adviser.

   Synonyms: colloquium, parley

2. the act of conferring or consulting together; consultation, especially on an important or serious matter.
3. Government. a meeting, as of various committees, to settle disagreements between the two branches of the legislature.
4. an association of athletic teams; league:

   an intercollegiate conference.

5. Ecclesiastical.
   1. an official assembly of clergy or of clergy and laity, customary in many Christian denominations.
   2. a group of churches whose representatives regularly meet in such an assembly.

verb (used without object)

, con·fer·enced, con·fer·enc·ing.

1. to hold or participate in a conference or series of conferences.

conference

/ ˈkɒnfərəns; -frəns; ˌkɒnfəˈrɛnʃəl /

noun

1. a meeting for consultation, exchange of information, or discussion, esp one with a formal agenda
2. a formal meeting of two or more states, political groups, etc, esp to discuss differences or formulate common policy
3. an assembly of the clergy or of clergy and laity of any of certain Protestant Christian Churches acting as representatives of their denomination

   the Methodist conference

4. sport a league or division of clubs or teams
5. rare.
   an act of bestowal

Derived Forms

• conferential, adjective

Other Words From

• con·fer·en·tial [kon-f, uh, -, ren, -sh, uh, l], adjective
• pre·confer·ence noun
• sub·confer·ence noun
• subcon·fer·ential adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of conference¹

From the Medieval Latin word conferentia, dating back to 1530–40. See confer, -ence

Word History and Origins

Origin of conference¹

C16: from Medieval Latin conferentia, from Latin conferre to bring together; see confer

Synonym Study

See convention.

Example Sentences

At a press conference on Wednesday, the Zambian minister for home affairs said the MP had been arrested earlier this week in Harare.

From BBC

Dmitri S. Peskov, the Kremlin’s spokesman, declined to comment on Ukraine’s claim in his daily conference call with reporters on Thursday.

From New York Times

Reporters in the fuller-than-normal news conference — attendance that signaled an upcoming marquee “Monday Night Football” matchup with the Baltimore Ravens — raised eyebrows at the bold statement.

From Los Angeles Times

The report reveals two starkly different narratives about what unfolded during a sexual encounter in his hotel room while the two were attending a Republican women’s conference in the city in October 2017.

From Los Angeles Times

This caused him considerable embarrassment when, at the 1999 Labour conference, he used his ministerial car - a Jaguar - for a 200-yard journey back to his hotel.

From BBC

Related Words

• consultation
• discussion
• forum
• interview
• meeting
• seminar
• symposium
• talk