English Reference
noun

meeting

n.
US /ˈmitɪŋ/ UK /mˈiːtɪŋ/ meet·ing UK spelling meetings

  1. 01 A1 Beginner

    an event where people get together to discuss work or make decisions.

    a planned gathering of people for a specific purpose, typically professional or administrative.

    Simple

    The morning meeting lasted two hours because there was a lot to discuss.

    In context

    The department head scheduled a mandatory meeting to address the budget cuts and outline the strategy for the upcoming fiscal year.

    Pitfall
    I have a meeting to the manager. I have a meeting with the manager.

    Use the preposition 'with' to indicate the person you are meeting.

  2. 02 B1 Intermediate

    the act of coming together with someone, sometimes by chance.

    an instance of coming together or encountering someone, whether planned or accidental.

    Simple

    Our first meeting was at a small coffee shop in the city centre.

    In context

    Their chance meeting at the airport led to a long-term professional collaboration that neither could have predicted.

  3. 03 C1 Advanced Formal

    the place where two things, like roads or rivers, come together.

    the point or instance of junction, intersection, or confluence between two physical entities.

    Simple

    The town was built at the meeting of two large rivers.

    In context

    The geographical survey focused on the meeting of the tectonic plates, where seismic activity was most frequent.

  4. 04 C2 Proficiency Formal Religion

    a religious gathering or service, often in certain Christian groups.

    a gathering for worship or religious administration, particularly within the Quaker tradition or evangelical contexts.

    Simple

    The community gathered for a silent meeting at the local Quaker house.

    In context

    The elders called for a special meeting to discuss the spiritual direction of the congregation and the maintenance of the chapel.

Usage meeting point · meeting its own commitments


Etymology 1

From Middle English meeting, meting, from Old English mēting, ġemēting (“meeting, assembly, association, society”), equivalent to meet + -ing. Cognate with West Frisian moeting (“meeting, encounter”), Dutch ontmoeting (“meeting, encounter”), Middle Low German mö̂tinge (“meeting”). Compare also German Low German Möte (“meeting, encounter”), Danish møde (“meeting, encounter”), Swedish möte (“meeting, encounter”), Icelandic mót (“meeting”). Related to moot.

Etymology 2

From Middle English metynge, metinde, metand, from Old English mētende, ġemētende, from Proto-Germanic mōtijandz, present participle of Proto-Germanic *mōtijaną (“to meet”), equivalent to meet + -ing.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Old English mēting
Level A1 · Beginner
Frequency Very common
Updated