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 are going to fix it,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said at the league’s board of governors meeting in March.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

The meeting centered on whether there could be a way forward for the two entities to work together, said O’Leary, who described the discussion as productive and constructive.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026

He is expected to hold a meeting for peace in the city's Saint Joseph's Cathedral.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Monday a "major" defense partnership with Indonesia following a meeting with the Southeast Asian nation's defense minister at the Pentagon.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

Julio was already demanding that they come to the meeting tomorrow and explain how they had accidentally caused this mess.

From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman

Related Words

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