plenum

noun

ple·​num ˈple-nəm  ˈplē- 

1

a

: a space or all space every part of which is full of matter

b

: an air-filled space in a structure

especially : one that receives air from a blower for distribution (as in a ventilation system)

2

: a general assembly of all members especially of a legislative body

3

: the quality or state of being full

Examples of plenum in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Boosting consumer spending and livelihoods gets little more than lip service in the communiqué that followed the plenum at which the five-year plan was mapped out. — Shaoyu Yuan, The Conversation, 5 Nov. 2025

The bill still requires two additional readings in the Knesset plenum to pass and remains subject to possible amendments beforehand. — Amelie Botbol, FOXNews.com, 20 Nov. 2025

Nearly 1 in 6 of the 376 officials named to the committee when its term began in 2022 were absent from the plenum. — Ann Scott Tyson, Christian Science Monitor, 27 Oct. 2025

As the period to debate the proposal began, members of Netanyahu’s coalition fled the Knesset plenum, hastily rushing to the exits as the vote neared. — Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 3 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin plēnum, noun derivative from neuter of plēnus "full"; (sense 1a) after its use in the Lucullus book of Cicero's Academica to denote a space completely filled with matter (distinguished from ināne or vacuum "empty space"); (sense 2) apparently first from its use in Sweden in the eighteenth century to refer to a meeting of all members of the Riksdag — more at full entry 1

First Known Use

1678, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for plenum

• denim
• venom
• imipenem