as in synods
formal
a private or secret meeting or group
a conclave of bishops
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Recent Examples of conclaves
In 16th-century Italy, gamblers could wager on the election of civic magistrates and the outcome of papal conclaves.
—
Parker Bach, The Conversation, 31 Mar. 2026
Behind the large wooden door, its frescoed walls closed to the general public reveal details of the compound's dramatic history, including papal conclaves and the Inquisition interrogation of Galileo Galilei.
—ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026
Parker Bach, The Conversation, 31 Mar. 2026
Behind the large wooden door, its frescoed walls closed to the general public reveal details of the compound's dramatic history, including papal conclaves and the Inquisition interrogation of Galileo Galilei.
—ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conclaves
Noun
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Geopolitics aside, central bank meetings are a key focus as the Federal Reserve, European Central Bank and peers in Japan, the UK and Canada are all scheduled to decide on policy.—
Ashutosh Joshi,
Bloomberg,
27 Apr. 2026
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Eventually, the meetings adjourned and turned into a social occasion.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The Nuremberg rallies were simply political stage plays, with music from Wagner, drums, symmetrical marching formations, red flags, and gatherings often held in darkness to heighten the mood.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Apr. 2026
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Without a doubt, guests would never get such a light touch there, where the security protocol for large gatherings calls for checkpoints—sometimes several of them, including mandatory ID checks and physical screening.—
Shane Harris,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Iowa, New Hampshire, and Nevada have traditionally been among the first states to hold presidential primaries or caucuses, although neither party has set its formal presidential primary and caucus calendar yet.—
Oren Oppenheim,
ABC News,
23 Dec. 2025
Noun
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But then, the 2016 national party conventions gave Colbert the opportunity to push hard on political humor.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
29 Apr. 2026
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Merritt draws listeners’ attention to songwriting form, winking at its conventions and timeworn tropes.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Conclaves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conclaves. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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