conventicle

American  

[kuhn-ven-ti-kuhl] / kənˈvɛn tɪ kəl /

noun

1. a secret or unauthorized meeting, especially for religious worship, as those held by Protestant dissenters in England in the 16th and 17th centuries.

2. a place of meeting or assembly, especially a Nonconformist meeting house.

3. Obsolete. a meeting or assembly.

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conventicle British  

/ kənˈvɛntɪkəl /

noun

1. a secret or unauthorized assembly for worship

2. a small meeting house or chapel for a religious assembly, esp of Nonconformists or Dissenters

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Other Word Forms

• conventicler noun
• conventicular adjective

Etymology

Origin of conventicle

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin conventiculum a small assembly. See convent, -i-, -cle ¹

Example Sentences

In the heated conventicle of my front room, the longed-for hope of being able to "save" took on a meaning not normally advanced by the banking community.

From The Guardian

"Who is responsible for this conventicle?" he continued, urging his horse towards the ducking stool.

From Project Gutenberg

They held their conventicles undisturbed, they dared openly to preach their abhorred faith, and their missionary zeal was rewarded with abundant conversions.

From Project Gutenberg

Under the Roman law, buildings in which heretics held their conventicles with the owner’s consent were not torn down, but were forfeited to the Church.

From Project Gutenberg

The infamous Mark was holding his conventicles in Alexandria about the very time that Pantaenus and Clement were teaching.

From Project Gutenberg