conference
noun
con·fer·ence
ˈkän-f(ə-)rən(t)s 
-fərn(t)s,
for sense 2 usually kən-ˈfər-ən(t)s
1
a
: a meeting of two or more persons for discussing matters of common concern
The president is in conference with his advisers.
b
: a usually formal interchange of views : consultation
a conference on climate change
c
: a meeting of members of the two branches of a legislature to adjust differences
d
: caucus
2
or less commonly conferrence
: bestowal, conferment
the conference of academic degrees
3
a
: a representative assembly or administrative organization of a religious denomination
b
: a territorial division of a religious denomination
4
: an association of athletic teams
a football conference
Synonyms
Examples of conference in a Sentence
The organization held its annual conference in New York this year.
national conferences on women's health
a conference of foreign ministers
Our boss called a conference to discuss the new changes.
He spent an hour in conference with the president.
the champions of the American Football Conference
Recent Examples on the Web
Designed to converge renowned figures from the fashion industry, this conference aims to discuss key themes that shape the luxury market today, ranging from brand evolution to adapt to a new luxury landscape and the powerful global influence of Southeast Asian fashion.
—
Fairchild Studio, WWD, 1 Oct. 2024
His ride is tricked out with oversized conference tables, enough seating for an entourage of courtiers and a golden throne (really).
—Monica Hunter-Hart, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024
Or so the logic goes in Vance’s 2021 speech at a conference hosted by the Claremont Institute, a rightwing think tank.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 1 Oct. 2024
Speaking at a tech conference in Hanoi, Meta’s global affairs president Nick Clegg said the firm would focus on the production of the Quest 3S headset in the Southeast Asian country.
—Afp, Fortune Asia, 1 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for conference 
Fairchild Studio, WWD, 1 Oct. 2024
His ride is tricked out with oversized conference tables, enough seating for an entourage of courtiers and a golden throne (really).
—Monica Hunter-Hart, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024
Or so the logic goes in Vance’s 2021 speech at a conference hosted by the Claremont Institute, a rightwing think tank.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 1 Oct. 2024
Speaking at a tech conference in Hanoi, Meta’s global affairs president Nick Clegg said the firm would focus on the production of the Quest 3S headset in the Southeast Asian country.
—Afp, Fortune Asia, 1 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for conference
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'conference.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near conference
Cite this Entry
“Conference.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conference. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
conference
noun
con·fer·ence
ˈkän-f(ə-)rən(t)s
-fərn(t)s
1
: a meeting for discussion or exchange of opinions
also
: the discussion itself
2
: a meeting of members of the two branches of a legislature to settle differences
3
: an association of athletic teams
a football conference
Legal Definition
conference
noun
con·fer·ence
ˈkän-frəns, -fə-rəns
1
: a meeting for consultation, deliberation, discussion, or interchange of opinions
a conference on environmental law
see also judicial conference, pretrial conference
2
: a meeting of members of the two branches of a legislature especially to adjust differences in the provisions of a bill passed in different forms by the two branches
also
: conference committee
3
: caucus
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