plural conferences
1
: a formal meeting in which many people gather in order to talk about ideas or problems related to a particular topic (such as medicine or business) usually for several days
The organization held/hosted its annual conference in New York this year.
national conferences on women's health
an international peace conference [=a meeting in which leaders of many countries talk about peace]
a conference of foreign ministers
—sometimes used before another nouna conference center [=a large building where conferences are held]
2
: a formal meeting in which a small number of people talk about something
Our boss called a conference to discuss the new changes.
He spent an hour in conference with the president.
—often used before another nouna conference room/table
3
US
: a group of sports teams that play against each other and that are part of a larger league of teams
a football conference
the champions of the American Football Conference
—often used before another nounthe conference champions/championship
Cite this Entry
“Conference.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/conference. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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