convene

verb

con·​vene kən-ˈvēn How to pronounce convene (audio)
convened; convening

intransitive verb

: to come together in a body
We convened at the hotel for a seminar.

transitive verb

1
: to summon before a tribunal
2
: to cause to assemble
A world council was convened in Paris.
convener noun
or convenor
Choose the Right Synonym for convene

summon, call, cite, convoke, convene, muster mean to demand the presence of.

summon implies the exercise of authority.

was summoned to answer charges

call may be used less formally for summon.

called the legislature into special session

cite implies a summoning to court usually to answer a charge.

cited for drunken driving

convoke implies a summons to assemble for deliberative or legislative purposes.

convoked a Vatican council

convene is somewhat less formal than convoke.

convened the students

muster suggests a calling up of a number of things that form a group in order that they may be exhibited, displayed, or utilized as a whole.

mustered the troops

Examples of convene in a Sentence

We convened at the hotel for a seminar. This class convenes twice a week. A panel of investigators was convened by the president to review the case.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The potential for tit-for-tat politics led New England governors and Canadian premiers to convene a call earlier in December, according to Healey. Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald, 23 Dec. 2024 King Charles cracked a joke about his well-being during his final day out for work before the royal family convenes for Christmas. Janine Henni, People.com, 20 Dec. 2024 Members of the electoral college convened in each state Tuesday to cast votes for the candidate who won their state. Mackenzie Mays, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024 The Electoral College convened at the Ohio Statehouse to cast their ballots after Trump and Vance won 55% of the vote in the Nov. 5 election. Haley Bemiller, The Enquirer, 17 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for convene 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Medieval Latin convenire, from Latin, to assemble — more at convenient

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of convene was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near convene

Cite this Entry

“Convene.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/convene. Accessed 6 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

convene

verb
con·​vene kən-ˈvēn How to pronounce convene (audio)
convened; convening
1
: to come together in a group : assemble
2
: to cause to convene : call together
convened a meeting

More from Merriam-Webster on convene

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!