conventicle

[ kuhn-ven-ti-kuhl ]

noun

1. a secret or unauthorized meeting, especially for religious worship, as those held by Protestant dissenters in England in the 16th and 17th centuries.
2. a place of meeting or assembly, especially a Nonconformist meeting house.
3. Obsolete. a meeting or assembly.

conventicle

/ kənˈvɛntɪkəl /

noun

1. a secret or unauthorized assembly for worship
2. a small meeting house or chapel for a religious assembly, esp of Nonconformists or Dissenters

Derived Forms

• conˈventicler, noun

Other Words From

• con·venti·cler noun
• con·ven·tic·u·lar [kon-ven-, tik, -y, uh, -ler], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of conventicle¹

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin conventiculum a small assembly. See convent, -i-, -cle ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of conventicle¹

C14: from Latin conventiculum a meeting, from conventus; see convent

Example Sentences

In the heated conventicle of my front room, the longed-for hope of being able to "save" took on a meaning not normally advanced by the banking community.

From The Guardian

"Who is responsible for this conventicle?" he continued, urging his horse towards the ducking stool.

From Project Gutenberg

A conventicle of these same heretics possessed an image of Satan which gave forth oracular responses, until a priest entering the room produced from his bosom a pyx containing the body of Christ, when Satan at once acknowledged his inferiority by falling down.

From Project Gutenberg

Thus a man of Realmont in Albigeois who repented of having been present at a Catharan conventicle went to a Franciscan and confessed, accepting the penance imposed of the minor pilgrimages and some other penitential acts.

From Project Gutenberg

In the year 1670, came forth the Conventicle Act, prohibiting Dissenters' meetings, under severe penalties.

From Project Gutenberg