conference
noun
con·fer·ence
ˈkän-f(ə-)rən(t)s 
-fərn(t)s,
for sense 2 usually kən-ˈfər-ən(t)s
1
a
: a meeting of two or more persons for discussing matters of common concern
The president is in conference with his advisers.
b
: a usually formal interchange of views : consultation
a conference on climate change
c
: a meeting of members of the two branches of a legislature to adjust differences
d
: caucus
2
or less commonly conferrence
: bestowal, conferment
the conference of academic degrees
3
a
: a representative assembly or administrative organization of a religious denomination
b
: a territorial division of a religious denomination
4
: an association of athletic teams
a football conference
Synonyms
Examples of conference in a Sentence
The organization held its annual conference in New York this year.
national conferences on women's health
a conference of foreign ministers
Our boss called a conference to discuss the new changes.
He spent an hour in conference with the president.
the champions of the American Football Conference
Recent Examples on the Web
The council is also preparing for a conference for brands, suppliers, workers, advocates, and government officials to discuss actionable solutions and policies.
—
Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 4 Feb. 2025
The regional championship follows on the heels of her first conference title a week earlier.
—Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2025
The festival has also announced further details about the accompanying conference programme and a raft of speakers and curators for the event.
—Thomas Smith, Billboard, 4 Feb. 2025
This late-season conference battle could significantly impact Big 12 tournament seeding and NCAA Tournament résumés.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for conference 
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Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 4 Feb. 2025
The regional championship follows on the heels of her first conference title a week earlier.
—Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2025
The festival has also announced further details about the accompanying conference programme and a raft of speakers and curators for the event.
—Thomas Smith, Billboard, 4 Feb. 2025
This late-season conference battle could significantly impact Big 12 tournament seeding and NCAA Tournament résumés.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for conference
Dictionary Entries Near conference
Cite this Entry
“Conference.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conference. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
conference
noun
con·fer·ence
ˈkän-f(ə-)rən(t)s
-fərn(t)s
1
: a meeting for discussion or exchange of opinions
also
: the discussion itself
2
: a meeting of members of the two branches of a legislature to settle differences
3
: an association of athletic teams
a football conference
Legal Definition
conference
noun
con·fer·ence
ˈkän-frəns, -fə-rəns
1
: a meeting for consultation, deliberation, discussion, or interchange of opinions
a conference on environmental law
see also judicial conference, pretrial conference
2
: a meeting of members of the two branches of a legislature especially to adjust differences in the provisions of a bill passed in different forms by the two branches
also
: conference committee
3
: caucus
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