conference
noun
Simple meaning
A formal meeting where people share their research and ideas
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
kahnferuhnsSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈkɑnfɚəns
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
sciences
A formal event where scientists present their research results in speeches, workshops, posters or by other means.
business
An event organized by a for-profit or non-profit organization to discuss a pressing issue, such as a new product, market trend or government regulation, with a range of speakers.
The act of consulting together formally; serious conversation or discussion; interchange of views.
A voluntary association of Congregational churches of a district; the district in which such churches are.
An autumn cultivar of the European pear Pyrus communis.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A1 · Beginner (estimated)
- Frequency
- Very Common
- Typical Use
- General English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: The act of consulting together formally; serious conversation or discussion; interchange of views.
Used this way, conference is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use conference
- “We attended a large conference to learn about new industry trends.”noun
Share your sentence
Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A room in which a conference can be held.
The table that conferees sit around as they hold a meeting.
A telephone call in which more than two people participate.
A center where conferences can be conducted.
A center where conferences can be conducted.
A conference at which press and tv reporters ask questions of a politician or other celebrity.
Related words
Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.
Have a conference in order to talk something over.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Knowing “conference” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.