- An example of convention is a national meeting of English teachers.
- An example of convention is a rule about comma placement.
- Rare a convening or being convened
- an assembly, often periodical, of members or delegates, as of a political, social, professional, or religious group
- the members or delegates at such an assembly
- in the U.S., an official gathering of delegates of a political party to select candidates for office, formulate party policies, etc.
- a large, organized public exhibition centered around a particular industry or activity and typically featuring speakers, vendors, etc.: a sportsmen's convention, comic book convention
- an agreement between persons, nations, etc.: a copyright convention, the Geneva Convention
- general agreement on the usages and practices of social life: bohemian revolt against convention
- a customary practice, rule, method, etc.; usage: the soliloquy was an Elizabethan dramatic convention
- Card Games a bid or play understood by partners to have a special meaning when made by either of them
Origin of conventionMiddle English convencioun ; from Classical Latin conventio ; from past participle of convenire, convene
- a. A formal meeting of members, representatives, or delegates, as of a political party, fraternal society, profession, or industry.b. The body of persons attending such an assembly: called the convention to order.
- An agreement between states, sides, or military forces, especially an international agreement dealing with a specific subject, such as the treatment of prisoners of war.
- General agreement on or acceptance of certain practices or attitudes: By convention, north is at the top of most maps.
- A practice or procedure widely observed in a group, especially to facilitate social interaction; a custom: the convention of shaking hands.
- A widely used and accepted device or technique, as in drama, literature, or painting: the theatrical convention of the aside.
Origin of conventionMiddle English convencioun, from Latin conventiō, conventiōn-, meeting, from conventus, past participle of convenīre, to assemble; see convene.
- A meeting or gathering.
- The convention was held in Geneva.
- A formal deliberative assembly of mandated delegates
- The EU installed an inter-institutional Convention to draft a European constitution
- The convening of a formal meeting
- A formal agreement, contract or pact
- (international law) A treaty or supplement to such.
- The Vienna convention at the Vienna Congress (1814-15) standardized most of diplomatic conduct for generations
- A generally accepted principle, method or behaviour.
- Table seatings are generally determined by tacit convention, not binding formal protocol
- The convention of driving on the right is reinforced by law.
Recorded since c. 1440, from Middle French convention, from Latin conventiō (“meeting, assembling; agreement, convention”), from conveniō (“come, gather or meet together, assemble”), from con- (“with, together”) + veniō (“come”).