conference

From Middle French conférence, from Medieval Latin conferentia, from Latin conferens.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈkɒnfɹəns/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈkɒnfəɹəns/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈkɑːnfəɹəns/, [ˈkɑːnfɹəns], [ˈkɑːnfɹn̩s]

conference (plural conferences)

1. The act of consulting together formally; serious conversation or discussion; interchange of views.
   • Shakespeare

     Nor with such free and friendly conference / As he hath used of old.

2. (politics) A multilateral diplomatic negotiation.
3. (sciences) A formal event where scientists present their research results in speeches, workshops, posters or by other means.
4. (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.
5. (sports) A group of sports teams that play each other on a regular basis.
6. (Philippines, sports) A constituent tournament of a sports league in a given season.
7. (obsolete) The act of comparing two or more things together; comparison.
   • Hooker

     helps and furtherances which […] the mutual conference of all men's collections and observations may afford

8. (Methodist Church) A stated meeting of preachers and others, invested with authority to take cognizance of ecclesiastical matters.
9. A voluntary association of Congregational churches of a district; the district in which such churches are.

• discussant, lecturer, parleyer, prelector, speaker.

The Writing-Rich High School Classroom: Engaging Students in ...

conference (third-person singular simple present conferences, present participle conferencing, simple past and past participle conferenced)

1. (transitive, intransitive, 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.