conclave
noun
con·clave
ˈkän-ˌklāv 
1
: a private meeting or secret assembly
especially
: a meeting of Roman Catholic cardinals secluded continuously while choosing a pope
The conclave elected the new pope on the fifth ballot.
2
: a gathering of a group or association
the annual conclave of newspaper publishers
Did you know?
Conclave comes from a Latin word meaning "room that can be locked up" (from the Latin com-, "together," and clavis, "key"). The English conclave formerly had the same meaning, but that use is now obsolete. Today, conclave refers not to the locked rooms but to the private meetings and secret assemblies that occur within them. The meaning of conclave has also expanded to include gatherings that are not necessarily secret or private but simply involve people with shared interests.
Examples of conclave in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Following the conclave, CSA issued design guidelines covering everything from scale and building costs to climate resilience and aesthetics.
—
Mayer Rus, Architectural Digest, 27 Mar. 2025
Related article High anxiety and whispers of a conclave: How the Vatican is dealing with Pope Francis’ hospitalization
Alfieri, who led the team at Rome’s Gemelli hospital, said the decision to continue with treatment was made by Francis’ nurse.
—Christopher Lamb, CNN, 25 Mar. 2025
Described as the sport world’s equivalent of the Vatican’s conclave voting procedure for a new pope, the election by secret ballot was preceded by intense lobbying campaigns by all the candidates.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 20 Mar. 2025
Hence, bond market participants don’t see an interest rate ease at the Fed’s March 18-19 conclave.
—Robert Barone, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for conclave
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Mayer Rus, Architectural Digest, 27 Mar. 2025
Related article High anxiety and whispers of a conclave: How the Vatican is dealing with Pope Francis’ hospitalization
Alfieri, who led the team at Rome’s Gemelli hospital, said the decision to continue with treatment was made by Francis’ nurse.
—Christopher Lamb, CNN, 25 Mar. 2025
Described as the sport world’s equivalent of the Vatican’s conclave voting procedure for a new pope, the election by secret ballot was preceded by intense lobbying campaigns by all the candidates.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 20 Mar. 2025
Hence, bond market participants don’t see an interest rate ease at the Fed’s March 18-19 conclave.
—Robert Barone, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for conclave
Cite this Entry
“Conclave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conclave. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
conclave
noun
con·clave
ˈkän-ˌklāv
: a private or secret meeting or assembly
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