convene

verb

con·​vene kən-ˈvēn How to pronounce convene (audio)
convened; convening

intransitive verb

: to come together in a body
We convened at the hotel for a seminar.

transitive verb

1
: to summon before a tribunal
2
: to cause to assemble
A world council was convened in Paris.
convener noun
or convenor
Choose the Right Synonym for convene

summon, call, cite, convoke, convene, muster mean to demand the presence of.

summon implies the exercise of authority.

was summoned to answer charges

call may be used less formally for summon.

called the legislature into special session

cite implies a summoning to court usually to answer a charge.

cited for drunken driving

convoke implies a summons to assemble for deliberative or legislative purposes.

convoked a Vatican council

convene is somewhat less formal than convoke.

convened the students

muster suggests a calling up of a number of things that form a group in order that they may be exhibited, displayed, or utilized as a whole.

mustered the troops

Examples of convene in a Sentence

We convened at the hotel for a seminar. This class convenes twice a week. A panel of investigators was convened by the president to review the case.
Recent Examples on the Web Drake also announced that the system’s director of community safety would convene additional meetings with UC police and campus safety officers to ensure staff are appropriately responding to incidents of violence. Teresa Watanabe, Los Angeles Times, 15 Nov. 2023 People reports that Jennifer Aniston, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox and Lisa Kudrow all convened for the event, held at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles. J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 3 Nov. 2023 Live Coverage Feed 14 hours ago Absences Could Affect the Outcome of Today’s Speaker Vote The House officially convened at 12:03 p.m. Katy Stech Ferek, WSJ, 25 Oct. 2023 For years, a committee of executives from U.S. technology companies and Indian officials convened every two weeks in a government office to negotiate what could — and could not — be said on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Joseph Menn, Washington Post, 9 Nov. 2023 The multi-unit project was on display Saturday for dozens of housing advocates and professionals from around the country who convened this week in Point Loma for a middle-income housing policy reform forum, Build the Middle: A National Housing Convening. Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Nov. 2023 The day kicked off with a few welcome remarks from Senior Features Editor Rebecca Misner, who danced a happy dance about the ability to convene together onsite before passing the microphone to Global Editorial Director Divia Thani. Charlie Hobbs, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Nov. 2023 The union shut down all other picket locations for the day and encouraged members to convene as one on Alameda Avenue to mark the 111th day of the walkout. Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2023 Union members had already convened in the parking lot of Solidarity House, the convoy’s destination and the headquarters of the U.A.W. Built in 1951, the low-slung modernist structure is situated on a site along the Detroit River which once contained Edsel Ford’s mansion, orchard, and garden. Dan Kaufman, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'convene.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Medieval Latin convenire, from Latin, to assemble — more at convenient

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of convene was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near convene

Cite this Entry

“Convene.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/convene. Accessed 2 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

convene

verb
con·​vene kən-ˈvēn How to pronounce convene (audio)
convened; convening
1
: to come together in a group : assemble
2
: to cause to convene : call together
convened a meeting

More from Merriam-Webster on convene

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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