session

American  

[sesh-uhn] / ˈsɛʃ ən /

noun

• sessions
  plural

1. the sitting together of a court, council, legislature, or the like, for conference or the transaction of business.

   Congress is now in session.

2. a single continuous sitting, or period of sitting, of persons so assembled.

3. a continuous series of sittings or meetings of a court, legislature, or the like.

4. the period or term during which such a series is held.

5. sessions, (in English law) the sittings or a sitting of justices in court, usually to deal with minor offenses, grant licenses, etc.

6. a single continuous course or period of lessons, study, etc., in the work of a day at school.

   Through a mixture of both lectures and lab sessions, you will develop a broad engineering skill base.

7. a portion of the year into which instruction is organized at a college or other educational institution.

   She’s enrolled in a six-week summer session.

8. the governing body of a local Presbyterian church, composed of the pastor who moderates and the elders.

9. a period of time during which a group of persons meets to pursue a particular activity.

   It was the last show before their recording sessions this week where they will produce their first album.

---

session British  

/ ˈsɛʃən /

noun

1. the meeting of a court, legislature, judicial body, etc, for the execution of its function or the transaction of business

2. a single continuous meeting of such a body

3. a series or period of such meetings

4. education

   1. the time during which classes are held

   2. a school or university term or year

5. Presbyterian Church the judicial and administrative body presiding over a local congregation and consisting of the minister and elders

6. a meeting of a group of musicians to record in a studio

7. a meeting of a group of people to pursue an activity

8. any period devoted to an activity

9. See Court of Session

---

session Idioms  

1. see bull session.

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• presession
  noun
• sessional
  adjective
• sessionally
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• sessions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of session

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English sessio(u)n, cessio(u)n, from Anglo-French, Middle French session, from Latin sessiōn- (stem of sessiō ) “sitting, bench, law-court sitting,” equivalent to sess(us) (past participle of sedēre to sit ¹ ) + -iōn- -ion

Explanation

A session is a specific block of time dedicated to something. Court may be in session, or school may be in session, or you just might find yourself enjoying a massage therapy session. The noun session also means a meeting of a board or committee to conduct business. The school board, for example, may hold a special session to discuss budget issues. Session can also refer to a gathering of spiritualists at a séance or a meeting with a psychic. You might have a session with a medium who claims she's delivering a message to you from your great-great-grandmother.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

session sessions

Of the 11 S&P 500 sectors, 10 finished higher on Monday for a second session in a row.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026

Her eyes started brimming with tears during the final question, revealing that her last sob session occurred just that morning.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

People with model boats have been banned from using a park's lake, unless they are taking part in a session run by a local boat club.

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

Benchmark Brent crude futures slipped closer to $100 a barrel, ending the session down by about 2%, to $100.32.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

I shot back, glad I had an outlet for the anger that had been simmering under the surface of my skin ever since that morning’s disastrous study session.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

However, it has made something of a comeback over the past two trading sessions.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026

Within a couple of months, Gabriel was called into senior training sessions by Ruben Amorim.

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

With $400-a-night tournament hotel rooms and weekly sessions with a $150-an-hour hitting coach, Beshara estimated that he spends thousands of dollars each month on baseball.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026

Every day during these training camp sessions, James gets tested when he has to defend Doncic and Reaves, two of the NBA’s most dynamic guards.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026

She supported her sons with weekly public séances and private sessions for regular clients, including Dr. George and Sarah Taylor.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

Related Words

• conference
• discussion
• hearing
• period
• term