a meeting for consultation, exchange of information, or discussion, esp one with a formal agenda an assembly of the clergy or of clergy and laity of any of certain Protestant Christian Churches acting as representatives of their denomination a league or division of clubs or teams
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
con•fer•ence /ˈkɑnfərəns/USA pronunciation
n. [countable]
con•fer•en•tial /ˌkɑnfəˈrɛnʃəl/USA pronunciation adj. See -fer-.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025- a meeting for consultation or discussion: a conference between a student and her adviser.
- Sportan association of athletic teams; league:the college football conferences.
- in conference, [uncountable] having a meeting:Tell them I'm in conference now and can't be disturbed.
con•fer•en•tial /ˌkɑnfəˈrɛnʃəl/USA pronunciation adj. See -fer-.
con•fer•ence
(kon′fər əns, -frəns),USA pronunciation n., v., - enced, - enc•ing.
n.
v.i.
con•fer•en•tial
(kon′fə ren′shəl),USA pronunciation adj.
n.
- a meeting for consultation or discussion:a conference between a student and his adviser.
- the act of conferring or consulting together; consultation, esp. on an important or serious matter.
- Governmenta meeting, as of various committees, to settle disagreements between the two branches of the legislature.
- Sportan association of athletic teams;
league:an intercollegiate conference. - Religion[Eccles.]
- an official assembly of clergy or of clergy and laity, customary in many Christian denominations.
- Religiona group of churches whose representatives regularly meet in such an assembly.
v.i.
- to hold or participate in a conference or series of conferences.
- Medieval Latin conferentia. See confer, -ence
- 1530–40
- 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged parley, colloquium. See convention.
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