conclave

noun

con·​clave ˈkän-ˌklāv 

1

: a private meeting or secret assembly

especially : a meeting of Roman Catholic cardinals secluded continuously while choosing a pope

The conclave elected the new pope on the fifth ballot.

2

: a gathering of a group or association

the annual conclave of newspaper publishers

Did you know?

Conclave comes from a Latin word meaning "room that can be locked up" (from the Latin com-, "together," and clavis, "key"). The English conclave formerly had the same meaning, but that use is now obsolete. Today, conclave refers not to the locked rooms but to the private meetings and secret assemblies that occur within them. The meaning of conclave has also expanded to include gatherings that are not necessarily secret or private but simply involve people with shared interests.

Examples of conclave in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Directed by Edward Berger, the film follows the conclave process of selecting the new Pope. —Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 19 Sep. 2024

At the August Jackson Hole conclave, Chairman Powell indicated that the Fed would be loosening policy restraints, code for lowering the Fed Funds Rate. —Robert Barone, Forbes, 13 Sep. 2024

Berger argued a papal conclave, where the College of Cardinals elects the next Pope behind closed doors, is as cutthroat as politics anywhere. —Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Sep. 2024

Berger delights in the drama of assembling a conclave, and the scenes of the cardinals preparing to be sequestered are dished out with the devious zeal of a great whodunnit. —David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 31 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French or Medieval Latin; Middle French, from Medieval Latin, from Latin, room that can be locked up, from com- + clavis key — more at clavicle

First Known Use

1524, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

conclave

noun

con·​clave ˈkän-ˌklāv 

: a private or secret meeting or assembly