conclave
noun
con·clave
ˈkän-ˌklāv 
1
: a private meeting or secret assembly
especially
: a meeting of Roman Catholic cardinals secluded continuously while choosing a pope
The conclave elected the new pope on the fifth ballot.
2
: a gathering of a group or association
the annual conclave of newspaper publishers
Did you know?
Conclave comes from a Latin word meaning "room that can be locked up" (from the Latin com-, "together," and clavis, "key"). The English conclave formerly had the same meaning, but that use is now obsolete. Today, conclave refers not to the locked rooms but to the private meetings and secret assemblies that occur within them. The meaning of conclave has also expanded to include gatherings that are not necessarily secret or private but simply involve people with shared interests.
Examples of conclave in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
On a weekend in mid-May, a clandestine mathematical conclave convened.
—
Lyndie Chiou, Scientific American, 6 June 2025
The conclave may not yet have felt ready to install an Asian or African pope, but having one who is mixed-race helps prepare for the racial and ethnic diversification of the office that is inevitable.
—Rebecca R. Bibbs, Chicago Tribune, 25 May 2025
That’s likely due to the passing of Pope Francis on April 21, which was swiftly followed by a real-life conclave to select Pope Leo XIV as his successor.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 22 May 2025
The news from Rome came as a shock after just over 24 hours of deliberation within the conclave.
—Chicago Tribune, Twin Cities, 11 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for conclave
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Lyndie Chiou, Scientific American, 6 June 2025
The conclave may not yet have felt ready to install an Asian or African pope, but having one who is mixed-race helps prepare for the racial and ethnic diversification of the office that is inevitable.
—Rebecca R. Bibbs, Chicago Tribune, 25 May 2025
That’s likely due to the passing of Pope Francis on April 21, which was swiftly followed by a real-life conclave to select Pope Leo XIV as his successor.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 22 May 2025
The news from Rome came as a shock after just over 24 hours of deliberation within the conclave.
—Chicago Tribune, Twin Cities, 11 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for conclave
Cite this Entry
“Conclave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conclave. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
conclave
noun
con·clave
ˈkän-ˌklāv
: a private or secret meeting or assembly
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