conference

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A large formal meeting where people discuss a particular subject, often over several days.

   Hundreds of doctors attended the medical conference in Berlin.

2. 2
   noun

   A smaller meeting held to discuss or decide something.

   The managers held a conference to plan next year's budget.

3. 3
   noun

   A group of sports teams that play matches against each other.

   Their team finished top of the conference this season.

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.

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