Definitions
01a period for an activity
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun
n. a period of time used for a specific activity, like a workout or a meeting.
n. a period of time devoted to a particular activity, often scheduled or structured.
“I have a training session with my coach at the gym tomorrow morning.”
“The therapist scheduled a follow-up session to discuss the progress made over the last month of treatment.”
02official meeting
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Law Formal
n. a formal meeting of a group of people, like a court or a government.
n. an official meeting or series of meetings of a legislative, judicial, or deliberative body.
“The court is in session, so everyone must remain quiet.”
“Parliament is currently in its summer session, debating several key pieces of environmental legislation before the recess.”
03computing connection
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Computing Technical
n. the time you spend connected to a computer system or website.
n. the period during which a user is logged into a system or the duration of a specific connection between a client and a server.
“Your login session has expired, so please enter your password again.”
“The web application uses cookies to maintain the user's session across multiple page requests.”
Synonyms
04academic term
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Education
n. a part of the school year, like a semester.
n. an academic term or a specific period during which a university or school holds classes.
“She decided to take extra classes during the summer session to graduate early.”
“The university offers a condensed winter session for students wishing to complete their elective requirements ahead of schedule.”
05music performance
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Music Informal
n. an informal meeting where musicians play together.
n. an informal gathering of musicians to play music, often used in the context of folk or jazz.
“We went to the pub to listen to a traditional Irish music session.”
“The local jazz club hosts an open session every Tuesday night where amateur musicians can play alongside professionals.”
Synonyms
06drinking period
C1 · Advanced Countable noun British English · Informal
n. a long period of time spent drinking alcohol, usually beer.
n. an extended period of social drinking, typically involving several pints of low-alcohol beer.
“The fans went on a long session at the bar after the game ended.”
“They settled in for a Saturday afternoon session, enjoying the mild weather and the local brewery's latest ales.”
Usage
Often used with 'on a' as in 'on a session'.
Synonyms
07to play music together
C2 · Proficiency Music Slang
v. to play music informally with other people.
v. to participate in an informal musical performance or jam session.
“The band spent the whole weekend sessioning in the garage to find a new sound.”
“After the main concert, several performers stayed late to session with the local opening act.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “session” in context.
Verb
01. attend a session
“All new employees are required to attend a training session on workplace safety.”
verb + noun
02. chair the session
“Professor Miller will chair the afternoon session of the conference.”
verb + noun
03. hold a session
“The committee will hold a special session to discuss the budget cuts next Tuesday.”
verb + noun
Adjective
04. brainstorming session
“Let's schedule a brainstorming session to come up with some fresh ideas for the project.”
adj + noun
05. joint session
“The two departments held a joint session to coordinate their marketing strategies.”
adj + noun
06. productive session
“We had a very productive session and managed to solve most of the technical issues.”
adj + noun
Preposition
07. during the session
“Participants are encouraged to ask questions during the session.”
prep + noun
08. in session
“Please be quiet in the hallway because the court is currently in session.”
prep + noun
Real-World Examples
“The BBC's Kelly NG joined a training session to see their moves first-hand.” “Photograph: Leah Millis/Reuters During trainings, organizers asked people not to record the sessions, Gonzalez Avalos said.” Etymology
From Middle English session, from Old French session, from Latin sessiō (“a sitting”), from sedeō (“sit”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
01. bull session
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/session
「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0