conclaves

noun

plural of conclave
as in synods
formal a private or secret meeting or group a conclave of bishops

Related Words

Relevance

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 conclaves In 16th-century Italy, gamblers could wager on the election of civic magistrates and the outcome of papal conclaves. — Parker Bach, The Conversation, 31 Mar. 2026 Behind the large wooden door, its frescoed walls closed to the general public reveal details of the compound's dramatic history, including papal conclaves and the Inquisition interrogation of Galileo Galilei. — ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conclaves
  1. meetings
  2. gatherings
  3. caucuses
  4. conventions
Noun
  • Hamid Khan, an organizer with the privacy advocacy group Stop LAPD Spying, said that his organization has been showing up at police commission meetings to complain about Flock since early 2025.
    — Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026
  • But Oman hasn’t been publicly leading mediation efforts, so why are high-stakes meetings taking place in Muscat?
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 11 July 2026
Definition of meetings
Noun
  • Yet, concerts, festivals, sporting events, school calendars, public holidays, severe weather, conferences and community gatherings all drive foot traffic, purchase behavior and operational load.
    — Campbell Brown, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
  • The coach would host summer and holiday gatherings for the offensive linemen, the soul of any successful football team.
    — Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of gatherings
Noun
  • Republicans are already committed to making the Iowa caucuses their first contest in 2028, and delaying the Democratic caucus could reinforce the idea that Democrats don’t prioritize rural voters, the Iowa presenters said.
    — Daniel C. Vock, Chicago Tribune, 27 May 2026
  • Iowa, New Hampshire, and Nevada have traditionally been among the first states to hold presidential primaries or caucuses, although neither party has set its formal presidential primary and caucus calendar yet.
    — Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 23 Dec. 2025
Definition of caucuses
Noun
  • In oral testimony, DTIC representatives supported by the country’s labor department and trade administration emphasized that South Africa has ratified International Labour Organization fundamental conventions that bar forced labor in supply chains.
    — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 14 July 2026
  • Yet, its caucuses play an outsize role in filling leadership positions, forming policy platforms, and resolving debates at its national conventions.
    — Max Grinstein, The Washington Examiner, 13 July 2026
Definition of conventions

Browse Nearby Words

conclave
conclaves
conclude
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Conclaves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conclaves. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on conclaves

Nglish: Translation of conclaves for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 17
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All