as in synod
formal
a private or secret meeting or group
a conclave of bishops
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Recent Examples of conclave
Trump also implied that Leo − the first pope born in the United States − was chosen by the conclave last year, partly in response to his own leadership.
—
Kim Hjelmgaard,
USA Today,
4 May 2026
Around the corner from Henry and Miller’s conclave is a sumptuous new commission by Bethany Joy Collins.
—
Horace D. Ballard,
Artforum,
22 Apr. 2026
His death, at 88, set the stage for the conclave that elected Leo a few weeks later.
—
ABC News,
21 Apr. 2026
The pope hasn’t visited the US since his selection at the papal conclave in May 2025 and doesn’t have plans to visit this year, according to the Vatican.
—
Zoe Sottile,
CNN Money,
20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for conclave
Kim Hjelmgaard,
USA Today,
4 May 2026
Around the corner from Henry and Miller’s conclave is a sumptuous new commission by Bethany Joy Collins.
—
Horace D. Ballard,
Artforum,
22 Apr. 2026
His death, at 88, set the stage for the conclave that elected Leo a few weeks later.
—
ABC News,
21 Apr. 2026
The pope hasn’t visited the US since his selection at the papal conclave in May 2025 and doesn’t have plans to visit this year, according to the Vatican.
—
Zoe Sottile,
CNN Money,
20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for conclave
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conclave
Noun
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The testimony of the gay men, contained in annexes published on the Vatican's synod website, featured moving accounts of how one, from Portugal, came to terms with his homosexuality and married his husband.
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Leo, the former Cardinal Robert Prevost, spent two weeks sitting with Fuanya at the same table during Pope Francis’ 2024 big meeting, or synod, on the family.
Noun
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An explosion went off near the Four Seasons Hotel in Damascus on Tuesday, where French President Emmanuel Macron had spent the night ahead of a meeting with his Syrian counterpart, according to French and Syrian media.
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The build-up to this meeting has been tense, with defense spending remaining a contentious topic.
Noun
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Political conventions are typically massive gatherings reserved for presidential election years, where parties formally nominate their candidates for the general election.
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See how designer Hattie Sparks Collins gave her in-laws' new build to a sunny dose of gathering-place nostalgia.
Noun
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They've been called the YOLO caucus, right?
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Kiley remains listed as a member of the Republican Governance Group, a caucus of moderate House Republicans whose affiliated PAC contributed $7,000 to his campaign.
Noun
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Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Good Night and Good Luck, The Ides of March, and Suburbicon are examples of films that are refined, ambitious, and outside the rules and conventions of Hollywood cinema.
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Beltran regularly appears at Star Trek conventions and used to get in fights on Twitter.
Cite this Entry
“Conclave.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conclave. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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