# convene

/kənˈvin/ (US) · /kənvˈiːn/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/convene
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. to call a meeting

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal · Academic

to arrange for a group of people to meet for a formal purpose.

For teachers: to summon or call together a group of people for a formal assembly or meeting. Transitive — takes a direct object.

- The committee chair decided to convene a special meeting to discuss the budget.
- The Secretary-General has the authority to convene an emergency session of the council should the geopolitical situation deteriorate further.

Usage: Commonly used with collective nouns like committee, council, or board as the object.

### 2. to meet together

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal · Academic

to gather or come together for a formal meeting.

For teachers: to assemble or come together in a body for a public or official purpose. Intransitive — does not take a direct object.

- The students will convene in the main hall at ten o'clock for the presentation.
- The delegates are scheduled to convene at the international summit to ratify the new environmental protocols.

Usage: Often followed by a prepositional phrase of place, such as 'in', 'at', or 'on'.

### 3. legal summons

verb · CEFR C2 · Formal · Technical

to officially order someone to appear in a court of law.

For teachers: to summon a person judicially to appear before a court or tribunal.

- The witness was convened to give evidence during the trial.
- The tribunal convened the defendants to answer for their alleged violations of maritime law.

Usage: Primarily used in legal or highly bureaucratic contexts.

## Examples

- The committee will convene next week to discuss the budget.
- The board of directors decided to convene an emergency session to address the sudden drop in stock prices.
- Under the terms of the treaty, the council must convene annually to review progress on environmental targets and propose new legislative frameworks.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.