conventioncon‧ven‧tion /kənˈvenʃən/ ●●○ AWL noun 
Word Origin
a teachers’ convention the city’s new convention center a convention for science fiction fans2[countable] a formal agreement, especially between countries, about particular rules or behaviour SYN pact, treatyconvention on the European convention on human rights3[countable, uncountable] behaviour and attitudes that most people in a society consider to be normal and right SYN custom: Playing together teaches children social conventions such as sharing. They defied the conventions of the time by living together without being married.by convention By convention, the bride’s father gives her away at her wedding.4[countable] a method or style often used in literature, art, the theatre etc to achieve a particular effect: the conventions of the 19th-century novelCOLLOCATIONS– Meaning 3adjectivesa social/cultural convention· Each society has its own cultural conventions.an established convention (=one that has been used for a long time)· There are established conventions for how you should end a letter.an accepted convention· Saying 'thank you' and 'please' is an accepted convention.verbsdefy convention (=not do what is accepted or normal)· At the time she was defying convention by living with a man.follow convention (=do what is accepted and normal)· If everyone followed convention, the world would be a boring place.conform to/adhere to convention formal (=do what is accepted and normal)· He’d always chosen not to conform to convention.flout convention (=deliberately not do what is accepted or normal)· I was determined to flout convention when it came to the funeral arrangements.phrasesa set of conventions· In the East you will have to learn a different set of conventions.rules and conventions· Rules and conventions permeate the whole of social life.
Word OriginWORD ORIGINconvention
ExamplesOrigin:
1400-1500 French, Latin conventio, from convenire; ➔ CONVENIENTEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Thesaurus- a convention for Star Trek fans
- an annual convention of the world bank
- For the next four years they defied convention by living as man and wife when they were not.
- He is a flamboyant millionaire who ignores social conventions.
- It is a matter of convention that male business people usually wear suits.
- Italian neorealism breaks with film conventions of the past.
- Lofgren told a convention of church activists that she wanted the money to be spend on local childrens' facilities.
- Sand was a freethinker who refused to follow the conventions of her day.
- Several hundred people are expected at the hotel next month for a huge sales convention.
- She shocked her neighbours by ignoring every convention of respectable society.
- the European convention on human rights
- The handshake is a social convention.
- The Reform Party will hold a national convention in August.
- the Republican Convention
- The Senator's speech at the Democratic Convention was well received.
- But back to Bodytalk, whose convention happened to be at the Metropole, next to Labour's conference hotel.
- From the get-go, Ullman serves notice that her show will not be driven by convention.
- Indeed, within Renaissance convention, the two do not have the clear associations they do within Romantic conventions.
- The difference is that the poststructuralists put themselves forth as heterodox prophets and turn out to be priests of convention.
- The labelling of the terminal variables I i and I o in figure 10.2 conforms with this convention.
- The relative calm before this convention is almost eerie.
- The water quality board cited the port in 1995 for excessive contaminants in the convention center operation.
THESAURUS► meeting
Collocations an occasion when people meet in order to discuss something: · a business meeting.· Mr Bell is in a meeting.· The committee will hold another meeting Wednesday.
► conference an organized event, especially one that continues for several days, at which a lot of people meet to discuss a particular subject and hear speeches about it: · Didn’t you give a talk at the conference last year?· a conference of women business leaders
► convention a large formal meeting of people who belong to a political party, or to an organization of people with the same interests: · the Democratic Party Convention· a convention for Star Trek fans
► rally a large public meeting, especially one that is held outdoors to support or protest about something: · There was a massive peace rally in London.
► summit a meeting between government leaders from important and powerful countries, to discuss important matters: · A summit meeting of OPEC leaders was called to find a solution to the oil crisis.· next week’s economic summit
► caucus American English a local meeting of the members of a political party to choose people to represent them at a larger meeting, or to choose a candidate in an election: · Obama won the Iowa caucus in 2007.
► teleconference/video conference a business meeting in which people in different places talk to each other using telephones or video equipment: · The chairman held teleconferences with his senior managers.
► gathering/get-together a situation in which a group of people come together to meet, talk, and have drinks with each other, especially friends or family: · We held a small family get-together to celebrate her birthday.· She arranged social gatherings in Kettering for young people on Saturday evenings.
► date an arrangement to meet someone who you are having, or hoping to have, a romantic relationship with: · I think I might ask her out on a date.
► rendezvous a meeting where two people have arranged to meet at a particular time or place, often secretly: · She arranged a rendezvous with him in the hotel bar.
► tryst literary a secret meeting between people who are having a romantic relationship: · a good place for a moonlight tryst
Longman Language Activatora meeting in order to discuss something► meeting an occasion when people meet in order to discuss something: · Sorry I can't come - I have to go to a meeting.· Peter's in London for a business meeting.· I was in meetings all morning and didn't get a chance to look at your proposal.have/hold a meeting: · I'm having a meeting with my client tomorrow to go over the case.· The committee will hold another meeting Wednesday to discuss the funding crisis.attend a meeting formal: · According to people who attended the meeting, Ms. Robins refused to answer any questions about the deal.call/arrange/organize a meeting: · The principal has called a meeting for 4.00.
► conference an organized event, especially one that continues for several days, at which a lot of people meet to discuss a particular subject and hear speeches about it: · Didn't you give a talk at the conference last year?conference on: · She's an organizer of the International Conference on AIDS that the university has every year.conference of: · Lewis recently spoke at a conference of women business leaders.attend a conference formal: · Baxter was in Boston attending a conference on the environment.hold a conference: · The Institute of Accountants is holding its conference in Edinburgh this year.
► convention a large meeting of members of a political organization or professional group for a particular purpose: · The Senator's speech at the Democratic Convention was well received.· Several hundred people are expected at the hotel next month for a huge sales convention.convention of: · Lofgren told a convention of church activists that she wanted the money to be spent on local childrens' facilities.· an annual convention of the world bankhold a convention: · The Reform Party will hold a national convention in August.
► summit a meeting between government leaders from important and powerful countries, to discuss international politics: · A U.S.-Russia summit is expected to take place in late March.summit meeting/conference: · A summit meeting of OPEC leaders was called to find a solution to the oil crisis.· NATO leaders are preparing for a summit conference to decide the future of the alliance.economic/anti-drug/AIDS etc summit: · The President will meet other Pacific Rim leaders at next week's economic summit.
► gathering a crowd of people who have come together for a particular purpose, for example to listen to someone speak, to pray, or to discuss something: · It was quite a small gathering but the speeches were excellent.· They announced their engagement at a family gathering in Vermont.
rules of acceptable behaviour► convention the rules and customs of acceptable behaviour, which are generally accepted by the members of a group or society: · He is a flamboyant millionaire who ignores social conventions.convention of: · She shocked her neighbours by ignoring every convention of respectable society.a matter of convention: · It is a matter of convention that male business people usually wear suits.defy convention (=do something unconventional): · For the next four years they defied convention by living as man and wife when they were not.
► protocol the system of rules for behaviour on official occasions: · According to protocol, he was to arrive at the meeting exactly five minutes early.breach of protocol (=behaviour not according to protocol): · Touching the Queen was a breach of royal protocol.
► etiquette the rules of polite behaviour in society or in a particular group: · Etiquette is especially important on occasions such as weddings and funerals.breach of etiquette (=behaviour not according to etiquette): · It was considered a breach of etiquette to refuse an invitation.professional etiquette (=the etiquette followed by people working in a particular profession): · Professional etiquette dictates that judges should not express their opinions about a case in public.
► unwritten law a rule or way of behaving that is not official but is accepted by most members of a society or group: · It was an unwritten law of the Mafia that nobody should talk to the police.· Jobs like this never go to women -- it just seems to be one of those unwritten laws of business.
► netiquette informal the commonly accepted rules for polite behaviour when you are communicating with other people on the Internet: · Sending an angry e-mail in capital letters breaks the rules of netiquette.
WORD SETS► ARTSaesthete, nounagitprop, nounart gallery, nounartist, nounartwork, nounavant-garde, adjectivebaroque, adjectivecapture, verbceramics, nouncharacter, nounclassical, adjectiveclassicism, nouncompere, nouncontemporary, adjectiveconvention, nouncreative, adjectivecritical, adjectivecrossover, nouncubism, nouncultural, adjectiveculturally, adverbculture, nouncurator, nouncycle, noundrama, nouneisteddfod, nounepic, nouneponymous, adjectiveerotic, adjectiveerotica, nouneroticism, nounexhibit, verbexhibit, nounexhibition, nounexpress, verbexpression, nounexpressionism, nounextract, nounfictionalize, verbfigurine, nounfin de siècle, adjectiveflashback, nounformalism, nounfuturism, nounglaze, verbglaze, nounGothic, adjectivehandcrafted, adjectivehandicraft, nounhandmade, adjectivehigh priest, nounhistorical, adjectiveinterpretation, nounItalianate, adjectivelowbrow, adjectivemagnum opus, nounmarquetry, nounmasterpiece, nounmasterwork, nounmature, adjectivemedium, nounMFA, nounmiddlebrow, adjectiveminimalism, nounmotif, nounmuse, nounnarrator, nounnaturalism, nounneoclassical, adjectivenotice, nounoeuvre, nounoffering, nounopening, adjectiveopus, nounpan, verbparody, nounpastiche, nounpattern, nounpiece, nounpop art, nounportfolio, nounpostmodernism, nounprequel, nounpreview, nounproduce, verbproduction, nounrealism, nounrealistic, adjectiverehash, verbreview, nounreview, verbromantic, nounromanticism, nounroyalty, nounrubbish, nounsalon, nounscenario, nounscene, nounsensuous, adjectivesentimental, adjectivesequel, nounsequence, nounset piece, nounsetting, nounShakespearean, adjectiveshowing, nounskit, nounstory, nounstudio, nounstylistic, adjectivesurrealism, nounswansong, nounsynopsis, nountitle, nountrilogy, nountwo-dimensional, adjectiveuncut, adjectiveunexpurgated, adjectivevillain, nounwork, nounwork of art, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY Meaning 3adjectives► a social/cultural convention
1[countable] a large formal meeting for people who belong to the same profession or organization or who have the same interests: · Each society has its own cultural conventions.
► an established convention (=one that has been used for a long time)· There are established conventions for how you should end a letter.
► an accepted convention· Saying 'thank you' and 'please' is an accepted convention.
verbs► defy convention (=not do what is accepted or normal)· At the time she was defying convention by living with a man.
► follow convention (=do what is accepted and normal)· If everyone followed convention, the world would be a boring place.
► conform to/adhere to convention formal (=do what is accepted and normal)· He’d always chosen not to conform to convention.
► flout convention (=deliberately not do what is accepted or normal)· I was determined to flout convention when it came to the funeral arrangements.
phrases► a set of conventions· In the East you will have to learn a different set of conventions.
► rules and conventions· Rules and conventions permeate the whole of social life.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE► annual· Bognor has been the unlikely home to the annual clowns' convention since 1985.· They have just suffered the unpleasant experience of having a three day annual convention of Young Farmers inflicted upon them.· Less than a month later, all of us found ourselves in Orlando at a party during the annual Florida Bar convention.· The place was Kyoto, where the International Press Institute was holding its annual convention.· The annual booksellers convention is usually the place to learn what may be hot in the fall publishing season.
► constitutional· Without realizing it Macmillan trespassed on the modern constitutional convention.· The group, which set up its own provisional government in December, hopes to hold a constitutional convention within two years.· Whatever the formal constitutional conventions and party rules, the Prime Minister is normally in effective control.· The Bill draws on the scheme proposed by the constitutional convention.· In this sense, the legal doctrine of sovereignty is the most fundamental of our constitutional conventions.· The point at which a useful and necessary practice is accorded the status of a constitutional convention is not clear.
► democratic· Chris Dodd would say the same thing about the Democratic convention.· Democratic Party nominees who have lost the White House will not be attending the Democratic convention.· Mrs Clinton began hammering away at the issues during her appearance before Florida Democrats at the Democratic convention.· McCord had told him he would be doing the same thing at the Democratic convention in Miami.· One of the last great red-hot liberals addressed the Democratic convention Tuesday, but he was something of an afterthought.
► international· Copyright is subject to two international conventions by which reciprocal protection is granted between members.· All age determinations have been normalized to -25 in accordance with international convention.· This type of carriage of goods is regulated by international convention.· There is a crying need for an international insolvency convention.· It proposed an international convention on air transport under the auspices of an international authority.· She is keen on the idea of an international convention on the atmosphere.· Similar provisions appear in international conventions which lay down the terms of contracts for international carriage of goods.
► national· Meanwhile newly established caretaker committees for each party were to start electing new leaderships and organizing national conventions.· Louisiana Republicans kick off the 1996 quest for national convention delegates Tuesday in party caucuses around the state, with Sen.· The selection of Bush continues a recent tradition of Texans in major roles at national political conventions.· No major national political convention had ever been held in California before.· He had a number of black bishop friends in Arkansas who passed the word around at their national conventions.· The Reform Party will hold a national convention in August or early September.· Their national nominating conventions no longer nominate presidential candidates.· It was the last national convention that required more than a single ballot to nominate a presidential candidate.
► political· There will also be close, searched boats, blocked streets and all the other inconveniences of a major political convention.· Not many men could say they brought a national political convention to their own neighborhood.· And a relative handful have ever attended a national political convention.· No major national political convention had ever been held in California before.· The campaign for book buyers' dollars is heating up again this summer, as the political conventions draw near.· The selection of Bush continues a recent tradition of Texans in major roles at national political conventions.· It was the first opportunity for the second-term congressman and former television producer to address a national political convention.· His plan to convene a summer political convention drawing together individuals and groups who organized the Million Man March.
► republican· Another important development prior to the opening of the Republican convention was the finalization of party policy by the Republican platform committee.· All a fellow has to do to write something funny on a Republican convention is just write what happened.· Back in 1988 he had the nerve to raise interest rates on the eve of the Republican convention.· The Republican convention was the most lavish exorcism in history.· Steve Pierce at the Massachusetts Republican convention and needed to win the primary to salvage the nomination.· Quite a few San Diegans' summers are being spoiled by the Republican convention.· He was a strong presence at the Republican convention last summer, giving a stirring speech and darting from event to event.
► social· A Social Credit Party convention to choose a new leader was expected to be held in June.· How do you carve out your identity when your parents were so rebellious and so against the social conventions?· What actions express an attitude is largely a matter of social convention.· The purpose of the supper forgotten by the Corinthians, customary social convention prevailed and divisions resulted.· He completely disregarded strictly enforced social conventions and religious restrictions in order to contact the outcasts of society.· Cooley presents a report of conversation with a former and a description of social conventions.· He further demonstrates that what is being tested is often the social conventions of a dominant class, rather than universal logic.· It preaches the doctrine that individuals should be allowed to do anything they wish unfettered by social conventions.
NOUN► center· Before forming the task force, Golding said the planned $ 213 million convention center expansion will not be included.· The suffocating security blanket extends well beyond the convention center.· The convention center is at 9800 International Drive, Orlando.· Like Anderson, they wanted those within the convention center to hear them.· The water quality board cited the port in 1995 for excessive contaminants in the convention center operation.· She said her organization will highlight the issue during a pair of rallies at an official protest site outside the convention center.· He also made a deal with the Port District that permitted construction of the convention center.· The city will assume responsibility for convention center permit issues when bonds are issued to finance expansion of the facility.
► delegate· The truth was that by 1988 the television audience had entirely replaced the convention delegates as the focus of attention.· After the Super Tuesday contests, Dole expects to have about 700 convention delegates.· On Saturday night, the 476 convention delegates will question Republican presidential hopefuls.· In keeping with this cosmetic calm, Powell was well-received by convention delegates who applauded him generously at his most inspirational moments.· The departure came just hours before Clinton triumphantly addressed the convention delegates, who unanimously nominated him for re-election Wednesday night.· Schweiker changed not a single convention delegate vote.· Q.. Are the county convention delegates obligated to support the presidential candidates preferred in their caucuses?
► floor· A guy walks around the convention floor with a boa constrictor around his neck.· Television cameramen in San Diego were given color coded maps to help them spot minority faces on the convention floor.· A proposed resolution to oppose voucher plans and charter schools provoked a spirited debate on the convention floor.
► hall· And at mid-day Wednesday, she was rehearsing her walk through the convention hall.· Enroute they passed a motorcade racing the other direction carrying Bush to join Reagan at convention hall and accept the nomination.· He hopes to have busloads of protesters outside the convention hall Wednesday, when Clinton is to arrive.· Activists on both sides demonstrated outside the convention hall, as expected.· We will fight them inside the convention hall.
► party· A Social Credit Party convention to choose a new leader was expected to be held in June.· For the past two decades, the national party conventions have been reduced to rubber-stamping the primaries' popular choices.· The report was adopted at a party convention in March.· A staunch opponent of the Accord, Chrétien was elected leader at a party convention on June 23.· I attended my own first national party convention in 1960.· A loss would give momentum to the idea of dumping him at the party convention in July.· But none of the Founding Fathers ever went to a party convention.
VERB► address· It was the first opportunity for the second-term congressman and former television producer to address a national political convention.· The departure came just hours before Clinton triumphantly addressed the convention delegates, who unanimously nominated him for re-election Wednesday night.· One of the last great red-hot liberals addressed the Democratic convention Tuesday, but he was something of an afterthought.
► adopt· It is good practise to adopt a naming convention to prevent this from occurring.· The report was adopted at a party convention in March.· The notation can be greatly simplified by adopting the Einstein summation convention in which we sum over repeated indices.· In side rooms Beuys adopts the conventions of the geological or natural history museum rather than the gallery.
► attend· Democratic Party nominees who have lost the White House will not be attending the Democratic convention.· Five days before, he had told me he would not attend the convention because he had not been asked to speak.· The experts also say many potential big-wig Tucson visitors have a hankering to play golf when they attend a convention.· The Pentagon has asked the armed services panel to end its extra review of officers who attended the convention.· And a relative handful have ever attended a national political convention.· However, Buchanan said he would attend the convention.· I am in Norfolk to attend a real estate convention with my wife.
► defy· To defy convention, surrender her virginity, to a man she neither loved nor desired must be quite out of the question.· Amber, nevertheless, defied conventions, behaved outrageously, and pursued her man in a manner quite unusual for the 19405.· He had been ready to defy the conventions and take on the world - and win! he thought.· You could, of course, defy convention and make all your early turns to the right.
► follow· If user-defined characters are to be mixed with standard characters, they should follow this convention.· In the remainder of the book, we follow convention and use the term national income.· You should follow this convention in writing a press release.· In the Penguin edition J. C. Maxwell does not follow the capitalization conventions of the text printed here.· The patterning of sleep illustrated in Figure 2.8 is not only typical, but follows conventions which are universal.
► hold· Each of the three constituent elements within the new party was due to hold a convention to ratify the merger.· The group, which set up its own provisional government in December, hopes to hold a constitutional convention within two years.· The place was Kyoto, where the International Press Institute was holding its annual convention.· The Reform Party will hold a national convention in August or early September.· Both are held under chivalric conventions of a formal confrontation between champions.· For starters, the Democrats can hold their next convention in an undecorated airplane hangar.· This weekend the Medieval Circle, a bunch of amateur historians, is holding a convention.
► nominate· For a leading Democrat to chastise his own party at its own nominating convention was a remarkable political feat.· Joe was, as always, resplendent when he traveled to the two political parties' summer nominating conventions.· Then came the modern presidential nominating conventions.· Typically, presidential campaigns do not begin in earnest until Labor Day, after both parties' nominating conventions.· Their national nominating conventions no longer nominate presidential candidates.· The real decisions were still made at the national nominating conventions.· Connally spent $ 12 million to win just one delegate to the nominating convention.· Verney said the party hopes to have a nominating convention around Labor Day.
► sign· This urged states to sign and ratify the convention and to make domestic legislation and administrative procedures compatible with it.· In return they will be allowed to raise prices by several percent more than competitors who have not signed the government convention.
► speak· Weld was scheduled to speak Wednesday night when convention organizers intend to stress economic issues.· Can you remember anyone other than Clinton and Gore who spoke at the last convention?· Before speaking to the religious convention, he toured a curfew center for teens who violate the law.· Mrs Clinton did not speak before the Democratic convention in 1992.· Was a former president, Gerald Ford, speaking to the convention?· No Democrats are expected to show up to speak at the convention.
a teachers’ convention the city’s new convention center a convention for science fiction fans2[countable] a formal agreement, especially between countries, about particular rules or behaviour SYN pact, treatyconvention on the European convention on human rights3[countable, uncountable] behaviour and attitudes that most people in a society consider to be normal and right SYN custom: Playing together teaches children social conventions such as sharing. They defied the conventions of the time by living together without being married.by convention By convention, the bride’s father gives her away at her wedding.4[countable] a method or style often used in literature, art, the theatre etc to achieve a particular effect: the conventions of the 19th-century novelCOLLOCATIONS– Meaning 3adjectivesa social/cultural convention· Each society has its own cultural conventions.an established convention (=one that has been used for a long time)· There are established conventions for how you should end a letter.an accepted convention· Saying 'thank you' and 'please' is an accepted convention.verbsdefy convention (=not do what is accepted or normal)· At the time she was defying convention by living with a man.follow convention (=do what is accepted and normal)· If everyone followed convention, the world would be a boring place.conform to/adhere to convention formal (=do what is accepted and normal)· He’d always chosen not to conform to convention.flout convention (=deliberately not do what is accepted or normal)· I was determined to flout convention when it came to the funeral arrangements.phrasesa set of conventions· In the East you will have to learn a different set of conventions.rules and conventions· Rules and conventions permeate the whole of social life.