convene

verb

con·​vene kən-ˈvēn 

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

kən-ˈvē-nər 

Synonyms of convene

• summon
• muster
• call

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

Fed policymakers are scheduled to convene for their next meeting on June 16-17, with Kevin Warsh all but assured to be at the head of the table — and Powell also present. —Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 29 Apr. 2026

The plan, which was submitted the day before the Legislature convened a four-day special session on redistricting Tuesday, eliminates four of the eight current Democratic-leaning districts, giving Republicans a 24-to-four advantage. —Jeffrey Schweers, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2026

Prosecutors also convened three secret grand juries between November 2025 and February 2026 to collect evidence against Burke, according to Silverman. —Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026

The conference includes 191 treaty parties and convenes every five years to review implementation of the pact aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons. —Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026

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

Rhymes for convene

• agin
• alkene
• allene
• ameen
• amin
• amine
• arene
• athene
• baleen
• beeline
• benzene
• between

Kids Definition

convene

verb

con·​vene kən-ˈvēn 

convened; convening

1

: to come together in a group : assemble

2

: to cause to convene : call together

convened a meeting