conclave
Americannoun
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a private or secret meeting.
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an assembly or gathering, especially one that has special authority, power, or influence.
a conclave of political leaders.
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the assembly or meeting of the cardinals for the election of a pope.
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the body of cardinals; the College of Cardinals.
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the place in which the cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church meet in private for the election of a pope.
noun
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a confidential or secret meeting
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RC Church
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the closed apartments where the college of cardinals elects a new pope
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a meeting of the college of cardinals for this purpose
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Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of conclave
1350–1400; Middle English < Medieval Latin, Latin conclāve room, enclosed space, representing ( camera ) cum clāve (room) with key. See con-, clef
Explanation
A private or secret meeting is a conclave. What are some reasons you might hold a conclave? You might be convening the executive committee on the board of a company, or you might be planning a surprise party. In Catholicism, a conclave is specifically a meeting of Roman Catholic cardinals who are locked in a room in seclusion when they need to choose a new pope. The word conclave comes from the Latin and originally meant "a locked room." The school's band boosters held a conclave to discuss the harsh district budget cuts and how those cuts might affect all the other music programs at school.
Vocabulary lists containing conclave
100 SAT words Beginning with "C"
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com-, con-
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Scythe
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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.
"No-one expected to be waiting for medical bulletins again so soon -- certainly not with this particular pope, who was 69 at the time of the conclave" in which he was elected, he said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
The conclave was part of a bigger Vatican event that concluded with a free concert in St. Peter’s Square and a light-show of more than 3,000 drones in the night sky.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
He also covered the 2025 papal conclave out of Vatican City.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026
Beijing has escalated a sweeping purge of military officials in the days before thousands of delegates from across the country meet for the annual Two Sessions political conclave that starts on Wednesday.
From Barron's ● Mar. 3, 2026
It is with bittersweet joy that I watch the bejeweling of new junior scythes at the end of each conclave.
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
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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.
