executive session

noun

: a usually closed session (as of a legislative body) that functions as an executive council (as of the U.S. Senate when considering appointments or the ratification of treaties)

Examples of executive session in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

On Friday, commissioners entered executive session to interview those candidates behind closed doors. —Joseph Flaherty, Arkansas Online, 8 Nov. 2025

The core problem, Springsteen says, is that Lakewood did not properly announce two September 2024 executive sessions during which officials discussed details of the deal in private. —John Aguilar, Denver Post, 29 Oct. 2025

The decision came during an executive session at a meeting in May 2023, with no details of the deliberations, state records show. —Gretchen Morgenson, NBC news, 25 Sep. 2025

The board first met for a closed executive session to discuss the district's memberships in the Educational Theatre Association, the Theatre National Association for Music Education and the Music and National Dance Education Organization. —Alexandra Hardle, AZCentral.com, 5 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1840, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for executive session

• accession
• aggression
• compression
• concession
• confession
• depression
• digression
• discretion
• expression
• impression
• obsession
• oppression

Legal Definition

executive session

noun

: a closed session (as of the U.S. Senate) in which executive business (as consideration of appointments or ratification of treaties) is taken care of compare legislative session