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
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Prediction markets allow people to stake money on the results of real-world events: elections, papal conclaves, movie review scores and sports—which is more popular now than any other genre.
—
Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 29 June 2025
The program was followed by a Mass celebrated by Cardinal Blase Cupich, the archbishop of Chicago who was part of the conclave that elected Leo.
—Holly Meyer, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2025
The Pope formerly known as Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was put in charge in early May after a two-day conclave.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 12 June 2025
Such an epic event doesn’t come along every papal conclave.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 11 June 2025
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Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 29 June 2025
The program was followed by a Mass celebrated by Cardinal Blase Cupich, the archbishop of Chicago who was part of the conclave that elected Leo.
—Holly Meyer, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2025
The Pope formerly known as Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was put in charge in early May after a two-day conclave.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 12 June 2025
Such an epic event doesn’t come along every papal conclave.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 11 June 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 12 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
conclave
noun
con·clave
ˈkän-ˌklāv
: a private or secret meeting or assembly
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