# conference
## English
### Etymology

From Middle French conférence, from Medieval Latin cōnferentia, from Latin cōnferēns, several steps omitting from con- + ferō.
Compare parallel Russian собра́ние (sobránije), Russian сбо́рище (sbórišče), akin to с- (s-), со- (so-) + брать (bratʹ), ultimately from the same Indo-European prefix and root. Also compare congress, convention.

### Pronunciation

* (Received Pronunciation) IPA: /ˈkɒnf(ə)ɹəns/
* Audio (Southern England):(file)
* (General American) IPA: /ˈkɑnf(ə)ɹəns/, [ˈkʰɑɱ.fɹəns], [ˈkʰɑɱ.fɹn̩s]

### Noun

conference (plural conferences)
* The act of consulting together formally; serious conversation or discussion; interchange of views.
** 1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Iulius Cæsar”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii]:Nor with such free and friendly conference / As he hath used of old.
** 1850, T. S. Arthur, “Seed Time and Harvest”, in Sketches of Life and Character‎, Philadelphia: J. W. Bradley, →OCLC, page 129:Mr. Wiley, a lawyer of some ability, was sitting in his office one day, when an elderly gentleman came in and asked to have a few words of conference with him.
* (politics) A multilateral diplomatic negotiation.
* (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.
* (sports) A group of sports teams that play each other on a regular basis.
* (Philippines, sports) A constituent tournament of a sports league in a given season.
* (obsolete) The act of comparing two or more things together; comparison.
** 1594–1597, Richard Hooker, edited by J[ohn] S[penser], Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], London: […] Will[iam] Stansby [for Matthew Lownes], published 1611, →OCLC, (please specify the page):helps and furtherances which […] the mutual conference of all men's collections and observations may afford
* (Methodist Church) A stated meeting of preachers and others, invested with authority to take cognizance of ecclesiastical matters.
* A voluntary association of Congregational churches of a district; the district in which such churches are.

#### Derived terms

* audioconference
* conference call
* conferencee
* conferencegoer
* conference-goer
* conference interpreter
* conference interpreting
* conferencelike
* conference matrix
* conferencer
* conference room
* conference table
* conferencewide
* consensus conference
* cyberconference
* interconference
* intraconference
* junk conference
* megaconference
* multiconference
* news conference
* nonconference
* preconference
* predatory conference
* press conference
* science by press conference
* Scoutmaster conference
* spamference
* status conference
* subconference
* superconference
* teleconference
* telephone conference
* traffic conference area
* unconference
* videoconference
* video conference
* web conference

#### Translations

    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

#### See also

* discussant, lecturer, parleyer, prelector, speaker.
The Writing-Rich High School Classroom: Engaging Students in ...

### Verb

conference (third-person singular simple present conferences, present participle conferencing, simple past and past participle conferenced)
* (ambitransitive, education) To assess (a student) by one-on-one conversation, rather than an examination.
** 2009, Jennifer Berne, The Writing-Rich High School Classroom:The students who were conferenced on paper 1 will get a written response to paper 2, and those who received a written response to paper 1 will be conferenced on paper 2.