convene
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
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to cause to assemble; convoke.
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to summon to appear, as before a judicial officer.
verb
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to gather, call together, or summon, esp for a formal meeting
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(tr) to order to appear before a court of law, judge, tribunal, etc
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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convenernoun
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convenornoun
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reconveneverb
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convenableadjective
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unconvenableadjective
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unconvenedadjective
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unconveningadjective
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convenablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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convenesimple
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convenessimple
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have convenedperfect
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has convenedperfect
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am conveningprogressive
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are conveningprogressive
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is conveningprogressive
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have been conveningperfect progressive
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has been conveningperfect progressive
Past
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convenedsimple
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had convenedperfect
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was conveningprogressive
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were conveningprogressive
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had been conveningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of convene
1400–50; late Middle English < Latin convenīre to come together, equivalent to con- con- + venīre to come
Explanation
The verb convene is a somewhat formal way of saying "to bring together for the purpose of a meeting." Convene is one of those words that lend an air of formality to a situation. We use it in place of the words "call a meeting" for such situations as government assemblages, court hearings, and conferences. Its meaning can be easily seen in its history — it comes from the Latin con-, which means "together," and the verb venīre, "to come." Imagine, if the syllables had just fit the music, the Beatles song "Come Together," might have been called "Convene."
Vocabulary lists containing convene
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 16–19
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com-, con-
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This Week in Words: April 14 - 20, 2018
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
UN chief Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday he would convene new talks on ending the half-century-old Cyprus conflict, inviting leaders on the divided island and its three guarantor powers.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
The FBU is urging government to convene a National Wildfire Summit to build national resilience, and is calling for 5,000 firefighters to be recruited nationwide.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Then, 601 total delegates—including 101 from the state party’s governing body—will convene on July 25 to vote on a nominee.
From Slate ● Jul. 16, 2026
The senate said it will convene a work group to meet over the next year to look at the issue.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026
We would, when possible, convene a general members’ meeting, which we regarded as vital to the health of our organization.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Boro remain in a state of limbo until the independent disciplinary commission convenes.
From BBC ● May 13, 2026
He said he’d be very surprised if all the election results weren’t certified by Jan. 3, when the new Congress convenes, given the legal remedies available to prevent stalling and undue delay.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 26, 2026
On Thursdays, he convenes an interagency discussion of the latest threats.
From Salon ● Apr. 22, 2026
Don Guinnip convenes his siblings at the farm in mid-October.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 15, 2026
Jackson is outraged, orders a court-martial which never convenes.
From "The Killer Angels: The Classic Novel of the Civil War" by Michael Shaara
He convened members of his cabinet at the Camp David presidential retreat on Friday -- but gave no indication of a possible shift in strategy.
From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026
From the fourth century to the 14th—when sea travel gradually replaced overland caravans—merchants, laborers, religious leaders, and government officials from across Eurasia convened there to exchange goods and culture.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
Taco Bell’s leadership team, many of whom were attending an off-site company event in Southern California, convened that night and made contingency plans to start pulling potentially tainted Taylor lettuce from stores.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Grand jurys are composed of members of the public and convened by the US government to examine evidence and decide if there is enough to charge a person or persons with a crime.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
Directly below him, in an oak tree, a crow congress had convened.
From "The Red Pony" by John Steinbeck
A duo for the ages is convening once again.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026
Access to one of the world’s richest men, with his deep-pocketed foundation and unmatched convening power in global health, would have lent Epstein the legitimacy he was seeking after his 2008 conviction.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026
Utahns have also deluged Cox with thousands of letters in opposition, while regularly convening on the state Capitol with unflattering signs featuring O’Leary and Cox.
From Slate ● Jun. 1, 2026
On Friday, the appeal court said Manele must take steps before noon on Tuesday to facilitate convening parliament so lawmakers sit by May 7.
From Barron's ● May 1, 2026
It didn’t take long before everyone in our building was knocking on each other’s doors and convening out on the balcony, standing around stunned and shaking with fear.
From "The Book of Unknown Americans" by Cristina Henríquez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
