meeting

American  

[mee-ting] / ˈmi tɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of coming together.

   a chance meeting in the park.

   Synonyms:

   rendezvous, confrontation, encounter

2. an assembly or conference of persons for a specific purpose.

   a ten o'clock business meeting.

3. the body of persons present at an assembly or conference.

   to read a report to the meeting.

4. a hostile encounter; duel.

5. an assembly for religious worship, especially of Quakers.

6. meeting house.

7. a place or point of contact; junction; juncture: the meeting of the waters.

   the meeting of two roads;

   the meeting of the waters.

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idioms

1. take a meeting, to hold, conduct, or participate in a meeting.

   The producer took a meeting with the cast of the film.

meeting British  

/ ˈmiːtɪŋ /

noun

1. an act of coming together; encounter

2. an assembly or gathering

3. a conjunction or union

4. a sporting competition, as of athletes, or of horse racing

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Other Word Forms

• submeeting
  noun

Etymology

Origin of meeting

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English; meet ¹ + -ing ¹

Explanation

A meeting is the planned gathering of a group of people for a specific reason. You might attend a meeting for Trekkies who are all fans of "Star Trek," or you may decide to stay home and watch "Star Trek" reruns instead. Wise move. Meetings are arranged beforehand, and when you show up at one, there will be other people there for the same purpose. Your meeting might be your monthly book group or a quick huddle after work to plan your boss's surprise birthday party. Meeting can also mean "an encounter," like the chance meeting you have with your kindergarten teacher at the grocery store, or "the place things come together," like the meeting of two streams in your yard.

Example Sentences

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said he recently held a 2-½-hour meeting with Khamenei, in a public message that appeared aimed at dispelling questions about whether the new leader is indeed alive and running the country.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 10, 2026

A third meeting with Usyk feels unlikely in the immediate future; the Ukrainian appears to have his number stylistically and there is limited appetite for a trilogy already settled twice.

From BBC • May 10, 2026

“We take safety very seriously. We’re meeting with residents and want to make sure everyone in the building feels safe and secure.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2026

In the months following the 2023 meeting, leasing and permitting for the U.S. mega projects continued, and in some areas construction got underway.

From Salon • May 9, 2026

Whether it was the soft spring night that put it in my mind, or Willem’s dramatic, pulpit-trained voice, I suddenly knew that the meeting of these two people had to be a very special moment.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

Related Words

• competition
• confrontation
• contest
• convention
• date
• encounter
• reunion
• session
• showdown
• talk