conclave

noun

Definition of conclavenext
as in synod
formal a private or secret meeting or group a conclave of bishops

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of conclave Trump also implied that Leo − the first pope born in the United States − was chosen by the conclave last year, partly in response to his own leadership. — Kim Hjelmgaard, USA Today, 4 May 2026 Around the corner from Henry and Miller’s conclave is a sumptuous new commission by Bethany Joy Collins. — Horace D. Ballard, Artforum, 22 Apr. 2026 His death, at 88, set the stage for the conclave that elected Leo a few weeks later. — ABC News, 21 Apr. 2026 The pope hasn’t visited the US since his selection at the papal conclave in May 2025 and doesn’t have plans to visit this year, according to the Vatican. — Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 20 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for conclave
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conclave
  1. synod
  2. meeting
  3. gathering
  4. caucus
  5. convention
Noun
  • The testimony of the gay men, contained in annexes published on the Vatican's synod website, featured moving accounts of how one, from Portugal, came to terms with his homosexuality and married his husband.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 May 2026
  • Leo, the former Cardinal Robert Prevost, spent two weeks sitting with Fuanya at the same table during Pope Francis’ 2024 big meeting, or synod, on the family.
    — Nicole Winfield, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2026
Definition of synod
Noun
  • In fact, when Sandy sits down the crew for a pre-pickup meeting and urges them to leave their baggage behind, Gen nods knowingly.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Traders are now pricing in a more than 72% chance of another Fed rate hike at its next meeting in October, according to the CME FedWatch tool.
    — Hugh Leask, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of meeting
Noun
  • Boots on the Ground Midwest will host gatherings at all the Johnson County early voting locations.
    — Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The outlet, citing the student publication Amirkabir, reported that Basij members attempted to disrupt the gathering and threatened students.
    — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of gathering
Noun
  • The leadership question could therefore depend in part on the composition of the caucus after Election Day.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The corporate caucus also pursued selling Chicagoans' medical debt to private debt collectors as a source of revenue, an approach Mayor Johnson blocked through executive order.
    — Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of caucus
Noun
  • Flores, a political newcomer, made his first national appearance at the Republican National Committee’s midterm convention in Dallas, touting his commitment to border security and accusing Gonzalez of allowing migrants to make the community unsafe.
    — Christopher Buchanan, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The portrait seems to place her on a stage, where she is expected to embody beauty ideals, social expectations, and conventions of the elite society of her time.
    — Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of convention

Browse Nearby Words

concision
conclave
conclaves
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Cite this Entry

“Conclave.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conclave. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on conclave

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about conclave

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