What does convocating mean?
Convocating refers to the act of summoning people together for a meeting, council, or formal assembly. It functions as the present participle of the verb 'to convoke', a word drawn from the Latin convocare, meaning literally 'to call together' (from com- 'with, together' plus vocare 'to call'). Because convoke is itself a somewhat rare, formal term, convocating surfaces mainly in official, academic, ecclesiastical, or parliamentary writing rather than in casual conversation; speakers who wish to convey the idea usually reach for the more common noun 'convocation' or phrases such as 'calling a meeting' instead. When used, the word carries a tone of institutional gravity: one convokes a synod, a legislative body, or a graduating class rather than a casual get-together. Its close relative, 'invocation', which calls upon an authority or spirit rather than a crowd, is often confused with it in spelling and sound, though their meanings are quite distinct.
verbConvocating is the present participle of the verb 'to convoke', meaning to call together or summon people for a meeting or assembly.
- Calling together or summoning people for a formal meeting or assembly
"The council is convocating all members to discuss the emergency budget."
"The chancellor announced that the university was convocating its first full faculty gathering in three years."
"Rather than issuing written memos, the new director preferred convocating the team whenever urgent decisions loomed."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of convocating
Convocating descends from the Latin convocare, formed from com- ('together') and vocare ('to call'), so the word's core sense has remained remarkably stable since antiquity: to call people together. The verb passed into English via Latin usage in formal and religious contexts, where 'convocation' became established as a term for assemblies of clergy and, later, universities and legislatures. English cognates sharing the vocare root include 'vocal', 'vocation', and 'advocate', all of which preserve the ancient link between calling out loud and summoning something into being.
Related word forms
How convocating is actually used
Convocating is an uncommon form; the more usual expression of the same idea is the noun 'convocation' or the phrase 'calling a meeting'. The plain form 'convoke' itself is largely formal and rare in everyday speech, and its participle appears mostly in ecclesiastical, parliamentary, or academic contexts.
Easily confused with convocating
Invoking means calling upon something such as a rule, spirit, or principle as authority or aid, whereas convocating means physically summoning people to assemble.