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

“We’re not infectious; the ship is safe,” the captain told passengers gathered in a lunchtime meeting, as seen in a video Çenet posted on social media.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

The episode follows Le Pen last month meeting the Israeli ambassador for the first time.

From Barron's • May 7, 2026

Georgie's older sister Steph, 40, said meeting Kim had been bittersweet for the family.

From BBC • May 7, 2026

But during a March 10 closed-door session, the Orange County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the proposed settlement of $450,000, according to published meeting minutes.

From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026

Bigwigs in the American and French armies were coming to Paris for an important meeting.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse

Related Words

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