session

1 of 2

noun

ses·​sion ˈse-shən How to pronounce session (audio)
1
: a meeting or series of meetings of a body (such as a court or legislature) for the transaction of business
morning session
2
sessions ˈse-shənz How to pronounce session (audio) plural
a(1)
: a sitting of English justices of peace in execution of the powers conferred by their commissions
(2)
: an English court holding such sessions
b
: any of various courts similar to the English sessions
3
: the period between the first meeting of a legislative or judicial body and the prorogation or final adjournment
4
: the ruling body of a Presbyterian congregation consisting of the elders in active service
5
: the period during the year or day in which a school conducts classes
6
: a meeting or period devoted to a particular activity
a recording session
sessional adjective

session

2 of 2

adjective

1
: employed to perform at recording sessions
a session drummer
2
: having a light body and a lower-than-average percentage of alcohol : sessionable
a session cider
… the increasing popularity of session beers [=sessionable and flavorful beers], which fulfill beer's original promise of being a less potent drink that can be safely enjoyed in greater volume than wine and spirits.Will Gordon
It is cleaner, smoother and more flavorful than the typical American lager. It's more of a session beer than other … choices, too, at 5.3 percent ABVSteve Goble
A session beer should be light and without aggressive flavors, but still flavorful enough to keep your interest.Michael Agnew
Citrus and grapefruit hit you in this very hazy, low-alcohol ale that has a lingering finish. A very good session ale.Marc Bona

Examples of session in a Sentence

Noun Her health insurance will cover 12 one-hour sessions of therapy per year. the U.N. Special Session on Disarmament I'm going to take classes during the summer session.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Thought-provoking sessions and off-the-record discussions feature Fortune 500 CEOs, former Cabinet members and global Ambassadors, and 7x world champion Tom Brady–among many others. Alicia Adamczyk, Fortune, 1 Nov. 2024 Mixing session with Los Bunkers, a famous and popular Chilean rock band who Larraín shot recently in Santiago. Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Nov. 2024
Adjective
Among the ways the service seeks to put kids at ease is a pre-session questionnaire for parents that asks things like the pronunciation of the child’s name, whether a letter to Santa has already been mailed and questions related to the child’s understanding of the pandemic. Tony Bravo, SFChronicle.com, 10 Dec. 2020 Coalition members will get more detail on budget problems at their pre-session retreat, which was to start later Thursday, said Bishop, a Fairbanks Republican. Yereth Rosen, Anchorage Daily News, 7 Jan. 2023 See all Example Sentences for session 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'session.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin session-, sessio, literally, act of sitting, from sedēre to sit — more at sit

Adjective

from attributive use of session entry 1; (sense 2) so called because the relatively low alcohol content in such drinks makes it possible to consume several rounds at a sitting without becoming intoxicated

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1958, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of session was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near session

Cite this Entry

“Session.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/session. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

session

noun
ses·​sion
ˈsesh-ən
1
: a meeting or series of meetings of a body (as a court or legislature) for the carrying on of business
2
: the period between the first meeting of a legislative or judicial body and the last meeting
3
: the period during the year or day in which a school has classes

Legal Definition

session

noun
ses·​sion
: a meeting or series of meetings of a body (as a court or legislature) for the transaction of business
also : the period between the first meeting of a legislative or judicial body and the final adjournment see also regular session, special session
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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