convene
Americanverb (used without object)
-
convenes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
convened,
past participle, past
-
convening
present participle
verb (used with object)
-
convenes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
convened,
past participle, past
-
convening
present participle
-
to cause to assemble; convoke.
-
to summon to appear, as before a judicial officer.
verb
-
to gather, call together, or summon, esp for a formal meeting
-
(tr) to order to appear before a court of law, judge, tribunal, etc
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
convenernoun
-
convenornoun
-
reconveneverb
-
convenableadjective
-
unconvenableadjective
-
unconvenedadjective
-
unconveningadjective
-
convenablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
convenesimple
-
convenessimple
-
have convenedperfect
-
has convenedperfect
-
am conveningprogressive
-
are conveningprogressive
-
is conveningprogressive
-
have been conveningperfect progressive
-
has been conveningperfect progressive
Past
-
convenedsimple
-
had convenedperfect
-
was conveningprogressive
-
were conveningprogressive
-
had been conveningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of convene
1400–50; late Middle English < Latin convenīre to come together, equivalent to con- con- + venīre to come
Explanation
The verb convene is a somewhat formal way of saying "to bring together for the purpose of a meeting." Convene is one of those words that lend an air of formality to a situation. We use it in place of the words "call a meeting" for such situations as government assemblages, court hearings, and conferences. Its meaning can be easily seen in its history — it comes from the Latin con-, which means "together," and the verb venīre, "to come." Imagine, if the syllables had just fit the music, the Beatles song "Come Together," might have been called "Convene."
Vocabulary lists containing convene
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 16–19
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
com-, con-
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
This Week in Words: April 14 - 20, 2018
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The government said it would convene an emergency meeting on Tuesday to discuss the strikes.
From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026
The independent panel will hold a sanctions hearing – which could take months to convene – to decide the punishment.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
Just as global leaders convene this week for the United Nations General Assembly, OpenAI is asking the U.S. government to lead an effort with other countries to develop global artificial-intelligence safety and security standards.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
The two sides will convene for two days, Oct.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
In a bigger office, a bigger crowd is bound to convene around the bagel table, providing more witnesses to make sure you drop your money in the box.
From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt
Boro remain in a state of limbo until the independent disciplinary commission convenes.
From BBC ● May 13, 2026
On Thursdays, he convenes an interagency discussion of the latest threats.
From Salon ● Apr. 22, 2026
The president convenes a starry meeting to address the current chaos, and pledges an executive order.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 11, 2026
A combined house majority of MPs will elect the president after parliament convenes in March.
From Barron's ● Jan. 26, 2026
Jackson is outraged, orders a court-martial which never convenes.
From "The Killer Angels: The Classic Novel of the Civil War" by Michael Shaara
When they convened for a joint video interview in late September, Heaton had recently returned to his London home from a music video shoot.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
The Supreme Court convened on Thursday to hear Abu Shehadeh's appeal against the disqualification.
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
At a July meeting convened by senior White House officials, tensions were running high.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
In 2001, in response to such critiques, the Smithsonian convened a blue-ribbon commission of historians and others led by Richard Darman, a former top aide in Republican White Houses.
From Salon ● Sep. 25, 2026
The next Sunday, when Dad convened the second meeting of the Council, we sat self-consciously around the table, biding our time.
From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
Not long ago, Mr. Threadgill began convening repertory ensembles to play material from his earlier groups.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
Organisers at Kathmandu University, which was convening the August 23-29 event, said they were told to withdraw from hosting it.
From Barron's ● Aug. 8, 2026
But “The Real Food Show” cannot recommend a salad dressing without first convening a tribunal.
From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2026
A duo for the ages is convening once again.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026
If he confirms, are you okay for convening at 5 tomorrow?
From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
