convene

verb

con·​vene kən-ˈvēn 

convened; convening

intransitive verb

: to come together in a body

We convened at the hotel for a seminar.

transitive verb

1

: to summon before a tribunal

2

: to cause to assemble

A world council was convened in Paris.

convener noun

or convenor

kən-ˈvē-nər 

Synonyms

• assemble
• call
• convoke
• muster
• summon

Choose the Right Synonym for convene

summon, call, cite, convoke, convene, muster mean to demand the presence of.

summon implies the exercise of authority.

was summoned to answer charges

call may be used less formally for summon.

called the legislature into special session

cite implies a summoning to court usually to answer a charge.

cited for drunken driving

convoke implies a summons to assemble for deliberative or legislative purposes.

convoked a Vatican council

convene is somewhat less formal than convoke.

convened the students

muster suggests a calling up of a number of things that form a group in order that they may be exhibited, displayed, or utilized as a whole.

mustered the troops

Examples of convene in a Sentence

We convened at the hotel for a seminar.

This class convenes twice a week.

A panel of investigators was convened by the president to review the case.

Recent Examples on the Web

Each year, a bevy of defense contractors, immigration authorities, technology ventures and security experts convene at the annual fair to discuss how to strengthen the globe’s political boundaries. —Caitlin Chandler, WIRED, 13 Jan. 2025

Experts from Japan's meteorological agency convened late Monday to analyze whether the recent earthquake in Miyazaki Prefecture might be linked to the Nankai Trough seismic activity. —Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 13 Jan. 2025

Leadership shows up in many ways: asking difficult questions, taking the initiative and convening diverse stakeholders to align on current perceptions of a problem. —Chris Williams, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025

The air district’s governing board convened Friday, lamenting the widespread destruction from the wildfires and the persisting danger from heavy smoke. —Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Medieval Latin convenire, from Latin, to assemble — more at convenient

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Kids Definition

convene

verb

con·​vene kən-ˈvēn 

convened; convening

1

: to come together in a group : assemble

2

: to cause to convene : call together

convened a meeting