# conclave

/ˈkɑnˌkɫeɪv/ (US) · /kˈɒnkleɪv/ (UK) · CEFR C2 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/conclave
Updated: 2026-05-25

## Definition

a secret meeting of a small group of people, especially when they are choosing a leader. It is most famous for the meeting where the Catholic Church picks a new pope.

For teachers: a secret meeting of a small group of people, typically for the purpose of electing a leader. In modern usage, it most frequently refers to the assembly of cardinals convened to elect a new pope.

## Examples

- The cardinals met in a conclave to choose the new leader.
- After the previous pope passed away, the world waited for the results of the conclave held in the Sistine Chapel.
- The term conclave has largely been restricted to ecclesiastical contexts, though it occasionally appears in historical accounts of political cabals that sought to manipulate the selection of a monarch.

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