What does reconvene mean?
Reconvene means to meet or assemble again, usually after a break, interruption, or adjournment. It is used for groups such as committees, courts, parliaments, conferences, and boards, making it especially useful in formal and institutional contexts. A committee may reconvene the following day to continue discussing an issue, or a court may reconvened after a recess. The verb can be used intransitively, as in “the committee reconvened,” or transitively, as in “the chair reconvened the meeting.” Although it sounds administrative, it applies broadly whenever people resume collective work together. Its repeated “re-” sense distinguishes it from “convene,” which means to assemble a group without necessarily implying a previous meeting. In everyday speech, “get back together” or “meet again” may sound more natural, but reconvoke is the precise formal equivalent.
verbTo meet or assemble again, especially after a break or interruption. It can also mean to bring people or a group back together for another session.
- To meet or assemble again after a break, interruption, or temporary postponement.
- To bring people or a group together again for further discussion or business.
"The committee will reconvene next Monday to continue its discussion."
"After lunch, the delegates reconvened in the conference hall."
"The judge reconvened the court to hear the remaining witnesses."
The prefix re- gives reconvene its meaning of returning to a gathering: a meeting paused or ended can begin another session.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does reconvene come from?
Reconvene was formed in English by combining the prefix re-, meaning again, with convene, which comes from Latin convenire, meaning to come together or assemble. Convene itself was borrowed in the late Middle English period from Latin convenire. The same Latin root also underlies words such as convention, convenient, and convent, reflecting the shared idea of people coming together.
Related word forms
How reconvene is actually used
The word is formal and especially common in official, legal, parliamentary, and organizational contexts. It is often used when a meeting has been paused or adjourned and is continuing later.
Easily confused with reconvene
Convene means to assemble or bring people together for the first time or as an ordinary action, whereas reconvene means to assemble again after a break or interruption.