conclave

noun con·clave \ ˈkän-ˌklāv \

Updated on: 20 Apr 2018

Definition of conclave

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

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conclave was our Word of the Day on 02/25/2012. Hear the podcast!

Recent Examples of conclave from the Web

Benedict, the clear frontrunner in 2005, was elected after only four ballots, with seven ballots being the average over the last nine conclaves.

— samantha toscano, Woman's Day, "Black Smoke Rises as Cardinals Have Yet to Name New Pope," 13 Mar. 2013
Art Is Now More Permanent Than Perishable The robots, monsters and other harum-scarum works of art at Burning Man aren’t all destined for a pyre at the annual conclave in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert.

— brenda cronin, WSJ, "Met Museum Brings Some Versailles to New York," 31 Mar. 2018
Boughton and Walker are among about a dozen party hopefuls for governor looking to emerge from the conclave with the GOP endorsement.

— neil vigdor, courant.com, "Dave Walker: Mark Boughton's Health A Question Mark In Governor's Race," 21 Mar. 2018
Li's reassurances offered yet another twist in an annual conclave that stretched more than two weeks.

— jonathan kaiman, latimes.com, "With Xi in office for the long haul, China touts its stability — 'the opposite of Washington, D.C.'," 20 Mar. 2018
The votes cap months of Communist Party conclaves and pageantry that confirmed Xi’s status as arguably the world’s most powerful leader.

— Bloomberg.com, "Xi Set for Second Term as China’s President, Cementing Power Push," 16 Mar. 2018
Their 2017 conclave in Charlottesville, Va., was one of the largest gatherings of their membership.

— michael harriot, The Root, "The White House Is Now a Frat House and Everyone Is Dropping Line," 13 Mar. 2018
There's why there's the Old Hickory Conference Room, a 1,504-square-foot area for social dos or corporate conclaves.

— william thornton, AL.com, "Pursell Farms offers classic inn, wedding venue in scenic surroundings," 12 Mar. 2018
The Central Committee is set to begin a three-day conclave Monday in Beijing.

— Bloomberg.com, "China Seeks to Repeal Term Limit, Opening Way for Xi," 25 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'conclave.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

Ever wonder what happens behind locked doors? The etymology of conclave begs this question as the word comes from a Latin term meaning "room that can be locked up." The English word 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. "Conclave" is especially likely to refer to a meeting of Roman Catholic cardinals who have secluded themselves to choose a pope, but it can refer to other types of private or secret meetings as well. The meaning of "conclave" has also expanded to include gatherings that are not necessarily secret or private but simply involve people with shared interests.

Origin and Etymology of conclave

Middle English, from Middle French or Medieval Latin; Middle French, from Medieval Latin, from Latin, room that can be locked up, from com- + clavis key — more at clavicle

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1524

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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CONCLAVE Defined for English Language Learners

conclave

noun

Definition of conclave for English Language Learners

: a private or secret meeting or group

Learn More about conclave

See words that rhyme with conclave Spanish Central: Translation of conclave Nglish: Translation of conclave for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about conclave

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conclave

Definition of conclave

conclave was our Word of the Day on 02/25/2012. Hear the podcast!

Recent Examples of conclave from the Web

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Origin and Etymology of conclave

CONCLAVE Defined for English Language Learners

conclave

Definition of conclave for English Language Learners

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conclave

Definition of conclave

conclave was our Word of the Day on 02/25/2012. Hear the podcast!

Recent Examples of conclave from the Web

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Origin and Etymology of conclave

CONCLAVE Defined for English Language Learners

conclave

Definition of conclave for English Language Learners

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