convene
Americanverb (used without object)
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convenes,
present (3rd person singular)
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convened,
past participle, past
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convening
present participle
verb (used with object)
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convenes,
present (3rd person singular)
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convened,
past participle, past
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convening
present participle
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to cause to assemble; convoke.
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to summon to appear, as before a judicial officer.
verb
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to gather, call together, or summon, esp for a formal meeting
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(tr) to order to appear before a court of law, judge, tribunal, etc
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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convenernoun
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convenornoun
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reconveneverb
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convenableadjective
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unconvenableadjective
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unconvenedadjective
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unconveningadjective
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convenablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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convenesimple
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convenessimple
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have convenedperfect
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has convenedperfect
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am conveningprogressive
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are conveningprogressive
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is conveningprogressive
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have been conveningperfect progressive
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has been conveningperfect progressive
Past
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convenedsimple
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had convenedperfect
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was conveningprogressive
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were conveningprogressive
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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
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com-, con-
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This Week in Words: April 14 - 20, 2018
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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.
See Examples For:
This was the first time since the 1982 Falklands War that legislators were asked to convene on a Saturday, reflecting the depth of Downing Street’s concern.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
"We've been in touch with government throughout this, with agencies throughout this, trying to convene people to pull them together," she said.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
The league said it would convene an emergency executive committee meeting with club officials and representatives of the players' association to discuss additional safety measures.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
The senate said it will convene a work group to meet over the next year to look at the issue.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026
You convene in the rec room, and each day you beg and bargain with them to take you away.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
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
It convenes heads of state, defense ministers, intelligence chiefs and senior military leaders who decide when to impose sanctions, use force, and tolerate escalation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 12, 2026
A combined house majority of MPs will elect the president after parliament convenes in March.
From Barron's ● Jan. 26, 2026
I’ll have to catch him later, when our team convenes.
From "Warcross" by Marie Lu
Immigration attorneys and other advocates quickly convened Thursday to determine how the ruling will affect immigrants.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
The WNBA, which has never had a trans woman player, has convened a task force to look at its policy, a sensible move.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Germany's new transport minister, Steffen Bilger, convened a recent crisis summit with shipping, port and logistics operators on the problem impacting the European Union's biggest economy.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
That said, BBC Sport understands many Uefa members are angry about the plan and that a meeting is set to be convened for them to discuss a response.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
Members of the Brain Busters Club convened after work and on weekends to build elaborate model airplanes by hand.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
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
A former Oklahoma congressman named Dave McCurdy said that Muslim fundamentalists had been convening in the area.
From Slate ● Apr. 19, 2026
It didn’t take long before everyone in our building was knocking on each other’s doors and convening out on the balcony, standing around stunned and shaking with fear.
From "The Book of Unknown Americans" by Cristina Henríquez
Definitions 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.
