convene

verb

con·​vene kən-ˈvēn How to pronounce convene (audio)
convened; convening
Synonyms of convene

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 How to pronounce convene (audio)

Synonyms of convene

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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Early Monday, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani convened the press for an announcement. — Nicole Gelinas, Washington Post, 21 Oct. 2026 Parliament convened an emergency session on Sunday and was expected to approve the resolution on Tuesday, but the vote was postponed until next Monday. — Ahmed Shawkat, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026 The new task force, whose first session was set to convene Monday, will be led by White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, who recently completed a round of breast cancer treatment. — Elizabeth Cooney, STAT, 19 Oct. 2026 The Congress that convenes in January will include dozens of new faces, as more than 70 lawmakers opted not to run for reelection in 2026, and many more incumbents could lose in November. — Daniel C. Vock, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for convene

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of convene was in the 15th century

Rhymes for convene

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Browse Nearby Words

convenance
convene
convener
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Convene.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/convene. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

convene

verb
con·​vene kən-ˈvēn How to pronounce convene (audio)
convened; convening
1
: to come together in a group : assemble
2
: to cause to convene : call together
convened a meeting
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