conclave

[ kon-kleyv, kong- ]

/ ˈkɒn kleɪv, ˈkɒŋ- /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR conclave ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a private or secret meeting.

an assembly or gathering, especially one that has special authority, power, or influence: a conclave of political leaders.

the assembly or meeting of the cardinals for the election of a pope.

the body of cardinals; the College of Cardinals.

the place in which the cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church meet in private for the election of a pope.

Nearby words

concinnous, concise, concisely, conciseness, concision, conclave, conclavist, conclination, conclude, conclusion, conclusive

Origin of conclave

1350–1400; Middle English < Medieval Latin, Latin conclāve room, enclosed space, representing (camera) cum clāve (room) with key. See con-, clef

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for conclave

He quotes an unnamed cardinal saying that the conclave voters knew the charges were false.
How Pope Francis Became the World’s BFF|Jason Berry|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Days later, Bergoglio was elected pope by a conclave of cardinals.
The Pope and the Queen to Square up Over Falklands|Tom Kington|April 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Also expected was the Archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols, who will put the United Kingdom back on the conclave map.
Pope Appoints a Rainbow Coalition of New Cardinals From Africa, Asia|Barbie Latza Nadeau|January 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And this spoon,” (set it atop the potatoes), “… is the Vatican conclave.
Crushing Christmas: How to Win Every Argument|Kelly Williams Brown|December 24, 2013|DAILY BEAST

But perhaps the most telling tale to come out of the conclave is from the post-election dinner on Wednesday night.
Conspiracy Theories Behind Pope Francis’s Election|Barbie Latza Nadeau|March 14, 2013|DAILY BEAST
“The fellow is a heretic and a scoundrel,” said he one day in the conclave.
The Bible in Spain|George Borrow
On the 7th of April sixteen cardinals entered into conclave for the election of his successor.
A Decade of Italian Women, vol. I (of 2)|T. Adolphus Trollope
Such was the pith of Tessouat's discourse, and at each clause the conclave responded in unison with an approving grunt.
Pioneers Of France In The New World|Francis Parkman, Jr.
Those of us who were in Boston during the week of the Templars' Conclave will never forget the parade.
Harper's Round Table, September 24, 1895|Various
Pio slipped into the shadow of one of the little houses whence he could issue in full view of the conclave.
The Penance of Magdalena and Other Tales of the California Missions|J. Smeaton Chase

British Dictionary definitions for conclave

conclave

/ (ˈkɒnkleɪv, ˈkɒŋ-) /

noun

a confidential or secret meeting

RC Church

the closed apartments where the college of cardinals elects a new pope
a meeting of the college of cardinals for this purpose

Derived Formsconclavist, noun

Word Origin for conclave

C14: from Medieval Latin conclāve, from Latin: cage, place that may be locked, from clāvis key

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

conclave

noun

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of conclave

Examples from the Web for conclave

British Dictionary definitions for conclave

conclave

noun

Word Origin for conclave