session

American  

[sesh-uhn] / ˈsɛʃ ən /

noun

• sessions
  plural

1. the sitting together of a court, council, legislature, or the like, for conference or the transaction of business.

   Congress is now in session.

2. a single continuous sitting, or period of sitting, of persons so assembled.

3. a continuous series of sittings or meetings of a court, legislature, or the like.

4. the period or term during which such a series is held.

5. sessions, (in English law) the sittings or a sitting of justices in court, usually to deal with minor offenses, grant licenses, etc.

6. a single continuous course or period of lessons, study, etc., in the work of a day at school.

   Through a mixture of both lectures and lab sessions, you will develop a broad engineering skill base.

7. a portion of the year into which instruction is organized at a college or other educational institution.

   She’s enrolled in a six-week summer session.

8. the governing body of a local Presbyterian church, composed of the pastor who moderates and the elders.

9. a period of time during which a group of persons meets to pursue a particular activity.

   It was the last show before their recording sessions this week where they will produce their first album.

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session British  

/ ˈsɛʃən /

noun

1. the meeting of a court, legislature, judicial body, etc, for the execution of its function or the transaction of business

2. a single continuous meeting of such a body

3. a series or period of such meetings

4. education

   1. the time during which classes are held

   2. a school or university term or year

5. Presbyterian Church the judicial and administrative body presiding over a local congregation and consisting of the minister and elders

6. a meeting of a group of musicians to record in a studio

7. a meeting of a group of people to pursue an activity

8. any period devoted to an activity

9. See Court of Session

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session Idioms  

1. see bull session.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• presession
  noun
• sessional
  adjective
• sessionally
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• sessions
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of session

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English sessio(u)n, cessio(u)n, from Anglo-French, Middle French session, from Latin sessiōn- (stem of sessiō ) “sitting, bench, law-court sitting,” equivalent to sess(us) (past participle of sedēre to sit ¹ ) + -iōn- -ion

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Explanation

A session is a specific block of time dedicated to something. Court may be in session, or school may be in session, or you just might find yourself enjoying a massage therapy session. The noun session also means a meeting of a board or committee to conduct business. The school board, for example, may hold a special session to discuss budget issues. Session can also refer to a gathering of spiritualists at a séance or a meeting with a psychic. You might have a session with a medium who claims she's delivering a message to you from your great-great-grandmother.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

session sessions

Tau will send a robot to your house or office for the modest price of $30 an hour, or $60 for a pair, though the company provided my session free of charge.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

Oil futures ended the session mixed with Brent modestly lower while WTI gained on bullish inventory data and reports that the U.S. could ease some sanctions on tankers that form part of shadow fleets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

The study used a double blind design, meaning neither the participants nor the experimenter knew which substance had been administered during a particular session.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026

By the end of the session, it had fallen roughly 10 basis points to 5.09%, its biggest one-day decline in more than a year.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

The only problem is, I’ve just come back from school, where I had a three-hour practice session.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

There are about 80 events taking place across the park, from moonlit swimming and astronomy sessions, to bioluminescence walks and planetarium shows.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

She said the training consisted of three sessions lasting around 90 minutes each.

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

Over the past few sessions, trading volume has dwindled, while major indexes have mostly drifted sideways.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026

The closely watched monthly report came as oil prices pulled back on Tuesday after three consecutive sessions of gains.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

“I know these sessions are taxing,” he told me.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse

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Related Words

• conference
• discussion
• hearing
• period
• term

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