conference

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: con=fer=ence

CIDE DICTIONARY

conference, n. [F. conférence. See Confer.].

•  The act of comparing two or more things together; comparison.  [1913 Webster]

  "Helps and furtherances which . . . the mutual conference of all men's collections and observations may afford."  [1913 Webster]
•  The act of consulting together formally; serious conversation or discussion; interchange of views.  [1913 Webster]

  "Nor with such free and friendly conference
  As he hath used of old."  [1913 Webster]
•  A meeting for consultation, discussion, or an interchange of opinions.  [1913 Webster]
•  A meeting of the two branches of a legislature, by their committees, to adjust between them.  [1913 Webster]
•  A stated meeting of preachers and others, invested with authority to take cognizance of ecclesiastical matters.  [1913 Webster]
•  A voluntary association of Congregational churches of a district; the district in which such churches are.  [1913 Webster]

Conference meeting, a meeting for conference. Specifically, a meeting conducted (usually) by laymen, for conference and prayer. [U. S.] -- Conference room, a room for conference and prayer, and for the pastor's less formal addresses. [U. S.]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

conference, n.
1 consultation, discussion.
2 a meeting for discussion, esp. a regular one held by an association or organization.
3 an annual assembly of the Methodist Church.
4 an association in commerce, sport, etc.
5 the linking of several telephones, computer terminals, etc., so that each user may communicate with the others simultaneously.

Idiom

in conference engaged in discussion.

Derivative

conferential adj.

Etymology

F conf{eacute}rence or med.L conferentia (as confer)

THESAURUS

conference

British Cabinet, Council of Nicaea, Council of Trent, Lateran Council, Sanhedrin, US Cabinet, Vatican Council, advisory body, airing, analysis, archbishopric, archdiocese, assembly, association, attention, audience, audition, bargaining, bargaining session, bench, bishopric, board, body of advisers, borough council, brain trust, bugging, bull session, buzz session, cabinet, camarilla, canvassing, chamber, chapter, circuit, city council, classis, colloquium, colloquy, common council, conciliarism, conclave, confab, confabulation, confrontation, congregation, congress, consideration, consistory, consultation, consultative assembly, convention, convocation, council, council fire, council of ministers, council of state, council of war, county council, court, debate, debating, deliberation, deliberative assembly, dialectic, dialogue, diet, diocesan conference, diocese, directory, discussion, divan, ear, eavesdropping, ecclesiastical council, ecumenical council, electronic surveillance, examination, exchange of views, eyeball-to-eyeball encounter, favorable attention, forum, hearing, high-level talk, huddle, interchange of views, interview, investigation, joint discussion, junta, kitchen cabinet, legislature, listening, listening in, logical analysis, logical discussion, loop, meeting, negotiations, news conference, open discussion, open forum, palaver, panel discussion, parish, parish council, parley, parochial church council, parochial council, plenary council, pourparler, powwow, presbytery, press conference, privy council, province, rap, rap session, review, round robin, round table, seance, see, seminar, session, sitting, soviet, staff, study, summit, summit conference, summitry, symposium, syndicate, synod, talk, town meeting, treatment, tribunal, tryout, ventilation, vestry, wheel, wiretapping

ROGET THESAURUS

conference

Conversation

N conversation, interlocution, collocution, colloquy, converse, confabulation, talk, discourse, verbal intercourse, oral communication, commerce, dialogue, duologue, trialogue, causerie, chat, chitchat, small talk, table talk, teatable talk, town talk, village talk, idle talk, tattle, gossip, tittle-tattle, babble, babblement, tripotage, cackle, prittle-prattle, cancan, on dit, talk of the town, talk of the village, conference, parley, interview, audience, pourparler, tete-a-tete, reception, conversazione, congress, powwow, hall of audience, durbar, palaver, debate, logomachy, war of words, gossip, tattler, Paul Pry, tabby, chatterer, interlocutor, conversationist, dialogist, the feast of reason and the flow of soul, mollia tempora fandi, conversing, interlocutory, conversational, conversable, discursive, discoursive, chatty, colloquial, with thee conversing I forget all time.

Advice

N advice, counsel, adhortation, word to the wise, suggestion, submonition, recommendation, advocacy, advisement, exhortation, expostulation, admonition, guidance, instruction, charge, injunction, obtestation, Governor's message, President's message, King's message, Queen's speech, message, speech from the throne, adviser, prompter, counsel, counselor, monitor, mentor, Nestor, magnus Apollo, senator, teacher, guide, manual, chart, physician, doctor, leech, archiater, arbiter, reference, referment, consultation, conference, pourparler, recommendatory, hortative, dehortatory, admonitory, Int, go to!, give every man thine ear but few thy voice, I pray thee cease thy counsel, my guide, philosopher, and friend, 'twas good advice and meant, my son be good, verbum sat sapienti, a word to the wise is sufficient, vive memor leti, we, ask advice but we mean approbation.

Council

N council, committee, subcommittee, comitia, court, chamber, cabinet, board, bench, staff, senate, senatus, parliament, chamber of deputies, directory, reichsrath, rigsdag, cortes, storthing, witenagemote, junta, divan, musnud, sanhedrim, classis, Amphictyonic council, duma, house of representatives, legislative assembly, legislative council, riksdag, volksraad, witan, caput, consistory, chapter, syndicate, court of appeal, board of control, board of works, vestry, county council, local board, audience chamber, council chamber, state chamber, cabinet council, privy council, cockpit, convocation, synod, congress, convention, diet, states-general, assembly, caucus, conclave, clique, conventicle, meeting, sitting, seance, conference, convention, exhibition, session, palaver, pourparler, durbar, house, quorum, council fire, powwow, primary, meeting, assemblage, member, senator, member of parliament, M, P, councilor, representative of the people, assemblyman, congressman, councilman, councilwoman, alderman, freeholder, senatorial, curule, congressional, parliamentary, legislative, law-making, regulatory, deliberative.