meeting

American  

[mee-ting] / ˈmi tɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of coming together.

   a chance meeting in the park.

   Synonyms:

   rendezvous, confrontation, encounter

2. an assembly or conference of persons for a specific purpose.

   a ten o'clock business meeting.

3. the body of persons present at an assembly or conference.

   to read a report to the meeting.

4. a hostile encounter; duel.

5. an assembly for religious worship, especially of Quakers.

6. meeting house.

7. a place or point of contact; junction; juncture: the meeting of the waters.

   the meeting of two roads;

   the meeting of the waters.

---

idioms

1. take a meeting, to hold, conduct, or participate in a meeting.

   The producer took a meeting with the cast of the film.

meeting British  

/ ˈmiːtɪŋ /

noun

1. an act of coming together; encounter

2. an assembly or gathering

3. a conjunction or union

4. a sporting competition, as of athletes, or of horse racing

---

Other Word Forms

• submeeting noun

Etymology

Origin of meeting

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English; meet ¹ + -ing ¹

Explanation

A meeting is the planned gathering of a group of people for a specific reason. You might attend a meeting for Trekkies who are all fans of "Star Trek," or you may decide to stay home and watch "Star Trek" reruns instead. Wise move. Meetings are arranged beforehand, and when you show up at one, there will be other people there for the same purpose. Your meeting might be your monthly book group or a quick huddle after work to plan your boss's surprise birthday party. Meeting can also mean "an encounter," like the chance meeting you have with your kindergarten teacher at the grocery store, or "the place things come together," like the meeting of two streams in your yard.

Example Sentences

His remarks came amid heightened tensions between Algeria and France, and followed a meeting days ago with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Vatican.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

The last time a leader from this camp sat across from Xi, back in 2015, the vibe was one of cautious parity—a meeting of equals held on the neutral turf of a Singapore hotel.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

He is expected to hold a meeting for peace in the city's Saint Joseph's Cathedral.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

The Monday meeting adjourned in just under three hours — with board members using less than the four hours set aside on their schedule.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026

And now he really couldn’t tell them, not when they were already so freaked out by the meeting with Mr. Reardon.

From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Related Words

• competition
• confrontation
• contest
• convention
• date
• encounter
• reunion
• session
• showdown
• talk