conference
- 01 A2 Elementary
n.a large, formal meeting where people with the same interests or jobs meet to talk about their work.
n.a formal meeting for consultation or discussion, typically involving a series of presentations or workshops on a specific theme.
Simple“She is attending a medical conference in London next week to learn about new treatments.”
In context“The annual technology conference serves as a vital platform for industry leaders to showcase emerging innovations and network with potential investors.”
Synonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a private or serious talk between two or more people.
n.the act of consulting together formally; a serious conversation or interchange of views between parties.
Simple“The doctor is in conference with a patient and cannot be disturbed right now.”
In context“After a brief conference with his legal advisors, the CEO decided to issue a formal statement regarding the merger.”
Synonyms - 03 B1 Intermediate
n.a group of sports teams that play against each other regularly.
n.an association of sports teams or clubs that compete against one another within a specific geographical or competitive division.
Simple“Their team is currently at the top of the Western Conference standings.”
In context“The university's move to a more competitive conference resulted in increased television revenue but significantly higher travel costs for the athletic department.”
Synonyms - 04 C1 Advanced
n.a meeting of church leaders to discuss religious matters.
n.a stated meeting of clergy and lay members invested with authority to manage ecclesiastical affairs.
Simple“The bishops gathered for a conference to discuss changes to the liturgy.”
In context“The regional Methodist conference voted on several resolutions concerning community outreach and the allocation of missionary funds.”
Synonyms - 05 C2 Proficiency
v.to talk one-on-one with a student to see how they are doing.
v.to assess or provide feedback to a student through a one-on-one meeting rather than a written test.
Simple“The teacher will conference with each student about their writing project.”
In context“The writing centre encourages tutors to conference with students throughout the drafting process to foster more effective revision habits.”
Usageoften used in educational contexts as an intransitive verb followed by 'with'
conference vs lecture — A lecture is a single educational talk given by one person, while a conference is a large multi-day event featuring many speakers and sessions.
Usage conference last · international conference
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.