Adjacent Words

Conference definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

CON'FERENCE, n. [See Confer.]
1. The act of conversing on a serious subject; a discoursing between two or more, for the purpose of instruction, consultation, or deliberation; formal discourse; oral discussion.
For they who seemed to be somewhat, in conference added nothing to me. Galatians 2.
The ministers had a conference at Ratisbon.
2. A meeting for consultation, discussion or instruction.
3. Comparison; examination of things by comparison.
The mutual conference of observations. The conference of different passages of scripture.
[This sense is, I believe, now obsolete.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a prearranged meeting for consultation or exchange of information or discussion (especially one with a formal agenda)
2: an association of sports teams that organizes matches for its members [syn: league, conference]
3: a discussion among participants who have an agreed (serious) topic [syn: conference, group discussion]

Merriam Webster's

noun Date: 1527 1. a. a meeting of two or more persons for discussing matters of common concern b. a usually formal interchange of views ; consultation c. a meeting of members of the two branches of a legislature to adjust differences d. caucus 2. (also conferrence) bestowal, conferment 3. a. a representative assembly or administrative organization of a religious denomination b. a territorial division of a religious denomination 4. an association of athletic teams • conferential adjective

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 consultation, discussion. 2 a meeting for discussion, esp. a regular one held by an association or organization. 3 an annual assembly of the Methodist Church. 4 an association in commerce, sport, etc. 5 the linking of several telephones, computer terminals, etc., so that each user may communicate with the others simultaneously. Phrases and idioms: in conference engaged in discussion. Derivatives: conferential adj. Etymology: F conférence or med.L conferentia (as confer)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Conference Con"fer*ence, n. [F. conf['e]rence. See Confer.] 1. The act of comparing two or more things together; comparison. [Obs.] Helps and furtherances which . . . the mutual conference of all men's collections and observations may afford. --Hocker. 2. The act of consulting together formally; serious conversation or discussion; interchange of views. Nor with such free and friendly conference As he hath used of old. --Shak. 3. A meeting for consultation, discussion, or an interchange of opinions. 4. A meeting of the two branches of a legislature, by their committees, to adjust between them. 5. (Methodist Church) A stated meeting of preachers and others, invested with authority to take cognizance of ecclesiastical matters. 6. A voluntary association of Congregational churches of a district; the district in which such churches are. Conference meeting, a meeting for conference. Specifically, a meeting conducted (usually) by laymen, for conference and prayer. [U. S.] Conference room, a room for conference and prayer, and for the pastor's less formal addresses. [U. S.]

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(conferences) Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. A conference is a meeting, often lasting a few days, which is organized on a particular subject or to bring together people who have a common interest. The President summoned all the state governors to a conference on education. ...the Conservative Party conference... Last weekend the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland held a conference, attended by 450 delegates. N-COUNT 2. A conference is a meeting at which formal discussions take place. They sat down at the dinner table, as they always did, before the meal, for a conference... Her employer was in conference with two lawyers and did not want to be interrupted. N-COUNT: also in N 3. see also press conference

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. (Now rare.) 1. Conversation, discourse, talk. 2. Meeting for consultation, interview, colloquy, parley.

Moby Thesaurus

British Cabinet, Council of Nicaea, Council of Trent, Lateran Council, Sanhedrin, US Cabinet, Vatican Council, advisory body, airing, analysis, archbishopric, archdiocese, assembly, association, attention, audience, audition, bargaining, bargaining session, bench, bishopric, board, body of advisers, borough council, brain trust, bugging, bull session, buzz session, cabinet, camarilla, canvassing, chamber, chapter, circuit, city council, classis, colloquium, colloquy, common council, conciliarism, conclave, confab, confabulation, confrontation, congregation, congress, consideration, consistory, consultation, consultative assembly, convention, convocation, council, council fire, council of ministers, council of state, council of war, county council, court, debate, debating, deliberation, deliberative assembly, dialectic, dialogue, diet, diocesan conference, diocese, directory, discussion, divan, ear, eavesdropping, ecclesiastical council, ecumenical council, electronic surveillance, examination, exchange of views, eyeball-to-eyeball encounter, favorable attention, forum, hearing, high-level talk, huddle, interchange of views, interview, investigation, joint discussion, junta, kitchen cabinet, legislature, listening, listening in, logical analysis, logical discussion, loop, meeting, negotiations, news conference, open discussion, open forum, palaver, panel discussion, parish, parish council, parley, parochial church council, parochial council, plenary council, pourparler, powwow, presbytery, press conference, privy council, province, rap, rap session, review, round robin, round table, seance, see, seminar, session, sitting, soviet, staff, study, summit, summit conference, summitry, symposium, syndicate, synod, talk, town meeting, treatment, tribunal, tryout, ventilation, vestry, wheel, wiretapping