plenary

[ plee-nuh-ree, plen-uh- ]

/ ˈpli nə ri, ˈplɛn ə- /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR plenary ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

full; complete; entire; absolute; unqualified: plenary powers.

attended by all qualified members; fully constituted: a plenary session of Congress.

noun, plural ple·na·ries.

a plenary session, meeting, or the like.

Nearby words

pleiotropic gene, pleiotropism, pleiotropy, pleistocene, plekhanov, plenary, plenary indulgence, plench, plenipotent, plenipotentiary, plenish

Origin of plenary

1375–1425; < Late Latin plēnārius (see plenum, -ary); replacing late Middle English plener < Anglo-French < Late Latin plēnāris (see -ar¹)

Related forms

ple·na·ri·ly, adverb

Can be confused

planetary plenary plentiful plenitude

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for plenary

The hottest debate in Davos on Thursday will come from a series of plenary sessions on Europe.
From Capitalism to the World's Most Vulnerable|Barbie Latza Nadeau|January 26, 2012|DAILY BEAST
A plenary session features a keynote address on “unleashing creativity” from the founder of a promotions site called ePrize.
The Perils of Borrowing Online|Gary Rivlin|October 12, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Now I will walk with my own feet, look with my own eyes, think my own thoughts, and act from the plenary power of my own will.
Atlantis|Gerhart Hauptmann
A plenary indulgence, once a month, for having said it daily during the month; under the usual conditions.
Mary, Help of Christians|Various

The fight at Cassel had inspired the people of the district with a plenary belief in the powers of the little English force.
The War in the Air; Vol. 1|Walter Raleigh.
So much for Dr. Farrar's impeachment of "orthodoxy" and its doctrine of plenary inspiration.
The Book Of God|G. W. Foote
But the government stood resolutely behind him, and he was invested with plenary powers.
The War With Mexico, Volume II (of 2)|Justin H. Smith

British Dictionary definitions for plenary

plenary

/ (ˈpliːnərɪ, ˈplɛn-) /

adjective

full, unqualified, or completeplenary powers; plenary indulgence

(of assemblies, councils, etc) attended by all the members

noun plural -ries

a book of the gospels or epistles and homilies read at the Eucharist

Derived Forms

plenarily, adverb

Word Origin for plenary

C15: from Late Latin plēnārius, from Latin plēnus full; related to Middle English plener; see plenum

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

plenary

adjective

noun, plural ple·na·ries.

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of plenary

Related forms

Can be confused

Examples from the Web for plenary

British Dictionary definitions for plenary

plenary

adjective

noun plural -ries

Derived Forms

Word Origin for plenary