Conclave

English

Noun

Conclave (plural Conclaves)

1. The set of apartments within which the cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church are continuously secluded while engaged in choosing a pope.
2. The group of Roman Catholic cardinals locked in a conclave until they elect a new pope; the body of cardinals

   It was said a cardinal, by reason of his apparent likelihood to step into St. Peter's chair, that in two conclaves he went in pope and came out again cardinal. — Robert South

3. A private meeting; a close or secret assembly.

   The verdicts pronounced by this conclave (Johnson's Club) on new books, were speedily known over all London. — Thomas Babington Macaula

Derived terms

• To be in conclave: to be engaged in a secret meeting; -- said of several, or a considerable number of, persons.

Related terms

• clave
• clavis

Thesaurus

Council of Nicaea, Council of Trent, Lateran Council, Vatican Council, assemblee, assembly, assignation, at home, audience, ball, bargaining, bargaining session, brawl, caucus, chapter, classis, colloquium, commission, committee, conciliarism, concourse, confab, confabulation, conference, confrontation, congregation, congress, consistory, constitutional convention, consultation, conventicle, convention, convocation, council, council fire, council of war, county convention, dance, date, diet, diocesan conference, discussion, ecclesiastical council, ecumenical council, eisteddfod, exchange of views, eyeball-to-eyeball encounter, festivity, fete, forgathering, forum, gathering, get-together, high-level talk, housewarming, huddle, interchange of views, interview, levee, meet, meeting, national convention, negotiations, news conference, nominating convention, palaver, panel, parley, parochial church council, parochial council, party, plenary council, plenum, political convention, pourparler, powwow, preliminary convention, presbytery, press conference, prom, quadrennial circus, quorum, rally, reception, rendezvous, seance, session, shindig, sit-in, sitting, soiree, state convention, summit, summit conference, summitry, symposium, synod, turnout, vestry