What does convene mean?
To convene is to come together, or to bring others together, for a formal purpose such as a meeting, hearing, or assembly. The verb works in two directions: a group may convene on its own accord, as when parliament convenes after an election, or someone with authority may convene a meeting, actively calling members into session. This makes it a staple of legal, governmental, corporate, and academic language, where gatherings carry official weight. Its register is distinctly formal — nobody convenes for coffee with a friend — and this formality lends writing an air of authority and procedure. Derived forms such as convener (the person who calls a meeting together) reinforce its institutional character. The word descends from Latin convenire, 'to come together', the root behind convention and intervene. For writers seeking precise, professional vocabulary for organised gatherings, convene is an indispensable and elegant choice.
verbTo come together, or to bring people together, for a formal meeting or gathering.
- (of a group) to meet formally; to come together for a meeting
- (of a person in authority) to summon or call together people for a meeting
"The board will convene next Monday to review the quarterly results."
"Parliament convened for its first session after the election."
"The chairperson convened an emergency meeting of the safety committee."
The same Latin root that gives us 'convene' also gives us 'event' — an event is literally just something that 'comes out', while a meeting is something people 'come together' to make happen.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of convene
Convene comes from Latin convenire, formed from com- ('together') plus venire ('to come'), meaning 'to come together' or 'to agree'. It entered English via Old French convenir in the late Middle Ages, initially carrying senses of assembling and of agreeing. It shares its Latin root with words such as convention, event, prevent, and intervene.
Related word forms
How convene is actually used
Convene is a formal word, typical of legal, political, corporate, and academic contexts. In everyday speech, 'meet' or 'get together' is more natural. The verb can be used both intransitively ('the committee convened') and transitively ('she convened a meeting').
Easily confused with convene
To congeal is to solidify or thicken (as a liquid), whereas convene means to gather or assemble people; they merely share a similar opening sound.