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

Aid charities have said the deadlock has put the whole deal over support for women in jeopardy with just three days to go before the conference ends.

From BBC

He can appear tired in news conferences but there is also an inner fire which has enabled him to set and maintain his standards.

From BBC

At a press conference last month, Justice for Harrods Survivors, which represents some of the accusers, said more than 400 alleged victims and witnesses had been in contact with them.

From BBC

It won the Best in Clinical Science and Vaccinology award at the conference.

From Science Daily

“We love how she maximized her talent at Utah in one of the nation’s strongest conferences. We are honored to welcome Lynne and her family to Los Angeles.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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