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

Though the Senate is required to convene as a court of impeachment under the chamber's rules, the Democratic majority is also expected to move to quickly quash the effort, through a motion to dismiss or delay the trial. —Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2024

The Democratic National Convention is scheduled to convene on Aug. 19, which will take place more than a week after the Aug. 7 deadline to certify a presidential candidate in Ohio, the office flagged according to state code, which would create a problem for Biden's eligibility. —Juhi Doshi, ABC News, 5 Apr. 2024

Furniture From the Last 100 Years: Three designers, a museum curator, an artist and a design-savvy actress convened to make a list of the most enduring and significant objects for living. —Becky Cooper, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2024

The office of Maryland Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller convened a Work Zone Safety Work Group that recommended an increase in Maryland's citation for work zone speed violations, currently the lowest in the nation at $40. —Minnah Arshad, USA TODAY, 28 Mar. 2024

But there are several near-contemporary reports, from French settlers as well as Africans, asserting that some sort of meeting was convened on or around Aug. 14, 1791, outside the city now called Cap-Haïtien, at which the participants sought a blessing for an uprising. —Matthew Brown, Washington Post, 24 Mar. 2024

The group of 31 scientists from around the world convened in 2022 to assess where the current scientific understanding of marine cloud brightening stands and what knowledge gaps need to be filled. —Justine Calma, The Verge, 21 Mar. 2024

China has also called for convening an international peace conference and setting a specific timetable for implementing a two-state solution. —Simone McCarthy, CNN, 19 Mar. 2024

Rojas also is the master of ceremonies for the annual International UFO Congress, based in Phoenix, which convenes researchers, enthusiasts and experts from around the world to discuss the latest developments in ufology. —The Arizona Republic, 13 Mar. 2024

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