Meaning & use
convening
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“convening” is a form of “convene”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
noununcountableformal
The act of calling people together for a formal meeting or assembly.
Grammar: Uncountable when used as a gerund; often followed by 'of': 'the convening of the committee'.
Patterns
- the convening of something
- convening of a meeting
The convening of the parliament was delayed by protests.
The convening of the summit brought leaders from many countries.
verbtransitive or intransitiveformal
Present participle of 'convene': calling people together or coming together for a meeting.
Grammar: As a participle, it can be used in progressive tenses or as a modifier: 'The chairman is convening the board.'
Patterns
- be convening something
- convening a meeting
The chairperson is convening an emergency meeting right now.
The committee is convening to discuss the new policy.
Word forms
| third person singular | convenes |
|---|---|
| past tense | convened |
| past participle | convened |
| -ing form | convening |
Common combinations
- convening a meeting
- The manager is convening a meeting to discuss the budget.
- the convening of the assembly
- The convening of the assembly took place on Monday.
- convening the committee
- She is responsible for convening the committee each month.
Synonyms and how they differ
- assembling
- Assembling is more general and can refer to any gathering; convening is formal and often used for official meetings.
- summoning
- Summoning is stronger and implies an order; convening is more neutral and formal.
Opposites
Word family
- convene verb
- To call people together for a meeting.
- convention noun
- A large formal meeting or a customary practice.
Commonly confused: convening or convenience?
convening vs convenience
Convenience means ease or suitability; convening is about calling a meeting. They sound different but are sometimes confused in writing.
Practice
Choose the correct form: 'The president is _______ a special session of parliament.'
Choose one answer.
After 'is', we need the -ing form to make the present continuous tense: 'is convening'. 'Convene' is the base form, 'convened' is past, and 'convenes' is third-person singular.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “convening”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.