SKIP TO CONTENT

conclave

/ˈkɑnkleɪv/
IPA guide

Other forms: conclaves

A private or secret meeting is a conclave. What are some reasons you might hold a conclave? You might be convening the executive committee on the board of a company, or you might be planning a surprise party.

In Catholicism, a conclave is specifically a meeting of Roman Catholic cardinals who are locked in a room in seclusion when they need to choose a new pope. The word conclave comes from the Latin and originally meant "a locked room." The school's band boosters held a conclave to discuss the harsh district budget cuts and how those cuts might affect all the other music programs at school.

Definitions of conclave
  1. noun
    a confidential or secret meeting
    see moresee less
    type of:
    group meeting, meeting
    a formally arranged gathering
Cite this entry
Style:
MLA
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago

DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘conclave'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of gold-punch.com or its editors. Send us feedback
Word Family