convene

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "convene" is correct and usable in written English.
It is most commonly used as a verb meaning "to gather for a meeting or event". For example, you could say "The board of directors will convene next week to discuss new business strategies."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Boykin said he would attempt to convene a town hall meeting with officers and citizens.

The Guardian

Eurozone finance ministers convene on 11 May, and negotiators have been in marathon talks to pave the way to an agreement that could be signed off at the meeting.

The Guardian - Business

All three officers have been placed on administrative leave, as police departments from neighbouring cities convene a special investigation unit (SIU) inquiry into the shooting.

The Guardian

So they convene meetings in Acme-shire about nurseries, or traffic noise, or policing priorities, because these are things that fall under the heading "policy".

The Guardian - Opinion

The Greens leader, Richard Di Natale, will write to Shorten and Abbott to urge the leaders come together and talk about how best to proceed, and the Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young will convene a cross-party meeting on same-sex marriage on Monday in an attempt to build consensus on the issue.

The Guardian

The England selectors convene this coming week – two of them via telephone – to forge a squad for the Test series against West Indies in the Caribbean that starts next month.

The Guardian - Sport

Jeb Bush will convene next week with a clutch of coalmining barons and reliable Republican party donors who have paid at least $7,500 each to huddle in secret with the presidential hopeful at a golfing and fly-fishing retreat in a hidden-away corner of Virginia.

The Guardian

This was thanks to the eager efforts of Andrew Gwynne MP, who wrote to David Cameron demanding he convene a special meeting of the honours forfeiture committee.

The Guardian - Opinion

Deputy finance ministers will convene on Wednesday to pave the way for talks among finance chiefs in the Latvian capital, Riga, at the end of the week, a Greek government official told Reuters.

The Guardian

Twenty days after the election the new parliament will convene in a new parliament in the city of Kutaisi.

The Economist

But though the UN-sponsored Special Tribunal for Lebanon has yet to convene or to charge anyone for the crimes, the impending trial threatens not only to reignite a firestorm in Lebanon, but also to spread sectarian tensions across the Middle East and to vex relations even more between the region's big adversaries, Iran and the United States.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "convene" to denote a formal or official gathering, such as a board meeting or a conference.

Common error

Avoid using "convene" for casual get-togethers. Opt for words like "meet", "gather", or "get together" for informal situations.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "convene" is as a verb. It describes the action of calling together or assembling a group of people for a meeting or formal gathering, as shown in examples from Ludwig.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

57%

Formal & Business

29%

Science

14%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The term "convene" functions as a verb denoting the act of assembling people for a formal meeting, session, or discussion. Ludwig AI confirms that the word is grammatically correct and widely used. Analysis of usage contexts reveals its prevalence in news and business settings. While often interchangeable with synonyms like "assemble" and "gather", "convene" carries a sense of formality and official purpose. Use "convene" when referring to official meetings. The frequency of the phrase is "very common" across various reliable sources.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

assemble

Focuses more on the physical gathering of people.

gather

A more general term for bringing people together, often in a less formal setting.

meet

A simpler and more common term for coming together for a specific purpose.

call a meeting

Highlights the act of initiating the gathering.

hold a session

Emphasizes a formal meeting with a specific agenda.

bring together

A more general phrase for uniting people or elements.

summon

Implies a formal or authoritative call to gather.

convoke

A more formal and less common synonym for convene.

get together

Informal way of assembling or gathering.

muster

Suggests gathering forces or resources in addition to people.

FAQs

How to use "convene" in a sentence?

You can use "convene" to describe bringing people together for a formal meeting. For example, "The committee will "convene" next week to discuss the budget."

What can I say instead of "convene"?

Alternatives to "convene" include "assemble", "gather", or "meet", depending on the context.

Which is correct, "convene a meeting" or "convene to a meeting"?

"Convene a meeting" is the correct phrasing. "Convene" takes a direct object (the meeting) and does not require the preposition "to".

What's the difference between "convene" and "convoke"?

Both "convene" and "convoke" mean to call together, but "convoke" often implies a more formal or authoritative summons.