convention

American  

[kuhn-ven-shuhn] / kənˈvɛn ʃən /

noun

• conventions
  plural

1. a large formal meeting or assembly, as of members, representatives, or delegates, for discussion of and action on particular matters of common concern.

   In 1932 he was elected president of the Missouri State Medical Association at its annual convention.

2. a large meeting of people with a common interest, as in a particular recreational activity.

   The site is a fan's resource for finding upcoming comic, gaming, and sci-fi conventions throughout the world.

3. U.S. Politics. a representative party assembly to nominate candidates and adopt platforms and party rules.

4. a rule, method, or practice established by usage; custom.

   In Social Studies, the second graders learned the convention of showing north at the top of a map.

5. general agreement or consent; accepted usage, especially as a standard of procedure.

   Certain uses of the comma have become established by convention.

6. accepted practice that has become removed from naturally occurring behavior; conventionalism.

   As young, second-career farmers, they're not bound by convention, and their land isn't a traditional farm.

7. a standard or customary device, structure, premise, style, etc., used in literature, music, or the arts.

   Big eyes and small mouths are among the most noticeable artistic conventions of anime.

   Le Guin’s novelette turned science fiction conventions on their head by making humans the invaders.

8. an agreement, compact, or contract, such as an international agreement dealing with postal service or copyright.

   Synonyms:

   treaty, pact

9. Bridge. any of a variety of established systems or methods of bidding or playing that allows partners to convey certain information about their hands.

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convention British  

/ kənˈvɛnʃən /

noun

1. 1. a large formal assembly of a group with common interests, such as a political party or trade union

   2. the persons attending such an assembly

2. politics an assembly of delegates of one party to select candidates for office

3. diplomacy an international agreement second only to a treaty in formality

   a telecommunications convention

4. any agreement, compact, or contract

5. the most widely accepted or established view of what is thought to be proper behaviour, good taste, etc

6. an accepted rule, usage, etc

   a convention used by printers

7. Also called: conventional.  bridge a bid or play not to be taken at its face value, which one's partner can interpret according to a prearranged bidding system

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Synonym Usage

Convention, assembly, conference, convocation name meetings for particular purposes. Convention usually suggests a meeting of delegates representing political, church, social, or fraternal organizations. Assembly usually implies a meeting for a settled or customary purpose, as for discussion, legislation, or participation in a social function. Conference suggests a meeting for consultation and discussion about business or professional problems. Convocation denotes a (church) assembly, the members of which have been summoned for a special purpose; chapel services at some colleges are called convocations.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• counterconvention
  noun
• preconvention
  noun
• unconvention
  noun
• anticonvention
  adjective
• postconvention
  adjective
• proconvention
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• conventions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of convention

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English convencio(u)n “formal meeting,” from Middle French convencion “meeting, agreement, covenant,” and Latin conventiōn- (stem of conventiō ) “assembly, agreement,” literally, “a coming together”; see convene, -tion

Explanation

A convention is a meeting, usually of a particular group. Political parties, teachers, plumbers, gardeners, toymakers and computer designers all hold conventions. In fact, lots of cities have built Convention Centers in hopes of attracting convention-goers. The best-known conventions happen every four years when the Democrats and Republicans meet to nominate presidential candidates. A convention can also be used to describe the normal or accepted way of doing things. It's the convention, for example, for your employer to give you a three-day weekend around the Fourth of July, even if it falls on a weekend.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

convention conventions

The artist spoke to The Times about the honor of performing at KCON, as the convention is a big moment for the Korean community around the world.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

In June, the International Labour Organization adopted a convention aimed at extending job protections to gig workers.

From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026

I mean, that is all over the language of those convention notes, if you just read through them.

From Slate ● Aug. 10, 2026

The Charleston convention ended without a nominee; a majority of Southern delegates walked out when they failed to get a platform that protected the expansion of slavery.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

Unwilling to back down, Anthony went from the convention hall to the Albany Evening Journal, where she persuaded an editor to cover the story of her being shut out of the meeting.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling

Mala Wangzi has opened pop-up museums around the country, held more than 4,000 latiao-themed weddings for superfan couples, and sponsored e-sport events, music festivals, and animation conventions.

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

Halstead, a Republican, was the 30-year-old editor of the Cincinnati Commercial and attended all the national political conventions that year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

As a longtime art writer, I was always drawn to Dadaism, the avant garde art movement that rejected conventions and wasn’t afraid to break all the rules.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

It’s rare that candidates are nominated through conventions, which are often opportunities for endless speeches—much like the quadrennial political conventions that national parties hold to ratify their nominees.

From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026

Wild Boy had so taken control that I was losing the ability to express myself with the conventions of spoken language.

From "Winger" by Andrew Smith

Related Words

• code
• law
• rule