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
Executives emerge from year-end planning conclaves with reams of documents outlining targets and goals for the coming year.
—
Dev Patnaik, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2025
Following a vacancy in the papacy, the College of Cardinals (bishops and Vatican officials chosen by the pope) gather to prepare for an upcoming papal election, which is called a conclave, according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
—Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 17 Feb. 2025
Whether the next conclave will elect a candidate committed to Vatican II or swing back to traditionalism is unknowable.
—Mary Jo McConahay, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2025
For example, the leader or head of the college is called the dean; one of his duties is to coordinate the conclave that will be convoked in the event a pope dies or resigns.
—Joanne M. Pierce, The Conversation, 15 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for conclave
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Dev Patnaik, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2025
Following a vacancy in the papacy, the College of Cardinals (bishops and Vatican officials chosen by the pope) gather to prepare for an upcoming papal election, which is called a conclave, according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
—Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 17 Feb. 2025
Whether the next conclave will elect a candidate committed to Vatican II or swing back to traditionalism is unknowable.
—Mary Jo McConahay, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2025
For example, the leader or head of the college is called the dean; one of his duties is to coordinate the conclave that will be convoked in the event a pope dies or resigns.
—Joanne M. Pierce, The Conversation, 15 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for conclave
Cite this Entry
“Conclave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conclave. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
conclave
noun
con·clave
ˈkän-ˌklāv
: a private or secret meeting or assembly
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