ENGLISH
REFERENCE

conference

n. countable
A2 Elementary Oxford US //ˈkɑnfɝəns// UK //kˈɒnfɹəns// con·fer·ence Archaic General-service

n. a large, formal meeting where people with the same interests or jobs talk about their work. You usually go to one to learn new things or share ideas with others.

n. a formal meeting of people with a shared interest, typically held over several days for discussion, consultation, or information exchange. Often used in academic, professional, or political contexts.


SIMPLE

I am attending a business conference in London next week.

CONTEXTUAL

The annual medical conference brings together doctors from around the world to discuss new treatments for heart disease.

COMPLEX

The international climate conference concluded with a series of non-binding agreements aimed at reducing carbon emissions across the industrial sector over the next decade.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle French conférence, from Medieval Latin cōnferentia, from Latin cōnferēns, several steps omitting from con- + ferō. Compare parallel Russian собра́ние (sobránije), Russian сбо́рище (sbórišče), akin to с- (s-), со- (so-) + брать (bratʹ), ultimately from the same Indo-European prefix and root. Also compare congress, convention.

Usage

Often used with the verbs 'hold', 'attend', or 'host'.

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