meet ‧ ing S1 W1 /ˈmiːtɪŋ/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
1 . an event at which people meet to discuss and decide things:
We’re having a meeting next week to discuss the matter.
at a meeting
I’ll raise the matter at the next meeting.
in a meeting
She said that Mr Coleby was in a meeting.
meeting about/on
There was a public meeting about the future of the gallery.
meeting with
I’ve got a meeting with Mr Edwards this afternoon.
meeting of
a meeting of senior politicians
meeting between
a meeting between unions and management
2 . the meeting formal all the people who are at a meeting:
I’d like to put a few ideas before the meeting.
3 . [usually singular] when people meet each other by chance or because they have arranged to do this:
I had felt drawn to Alice ever since our first meeting.
4 . a sports competition or a set of races for horses
5 . meeting of minds a situation in which two people have very similar ideas and understand each other very well:
There was a real meeting of minds between the two leaders.
6 . an event at which a group of Quakers (=a Christian religious group) pray together
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ have a meeting
I had a long meeting with my manager.
▪ hold a meeting formal (=have a meeting)
The meetings are usually held on a Friday.
▪ go to a meeting ( also attend a meeting formal )
All staff members are expected to attend the meeting.
▪ call a meeting ( also convene a meeting formal ) (=arrange a meeting)
The board has the power to convene a general meeting if necessary.
▪ chair a meeting ( also preside over a meeting formal ) (=lead it)
The meeting was chaired by Professor Jones of the University of York.
▪ open a meeting (=begin it)
There was disagreement about opening the meeting with a prayer.
▪ close a meeting (=end it)
He closed the meeting by saying, ‘I think we have made great progress.’
▪ address a meeting (=speak to the people at a meeting)
A member of Greenpeace addressed the protest meeting.
▪ adjourn a meeting (=make it stop for a period of time)
This meeting is adjourned until tomorrow.
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + meeting
▪ a committee/staff/board etc meeting
A staff meeting will be held at 3 p.m.
▪ an annual meeting (=an important meeting held once a year)
the annual meeting of the British Medical Association
▪ a monthly/weekly meeting
a routine weekly meeting with the managing director
▪ a public/open meeting (=that anyone can go to)
A public meeting was held to discuss the proposal to build a new school.
▪ a general meeting especially British English (=that anyone, or anyone in a particular organization, can go to)
The annual general meeting of the rugby club was held last night.
▪ a private/closed meeting (=that only a few people are allowed to go to)
The senator attended a private meeting with the president.
▪ a summit meeting (=between leaders of governments)
The Prime Minister is in Paris for a European summit meeting.
▪ a business meeting
He had to go into town for a business meeting.
▪ a protest meeting
Anti-road campaigners are holding a protest meeting today.
▪ an emergency/urgent meeting
The Council has called an emergency meeting to decide what action to take.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ meeting an occasion when people meet in order to discuss something:
a business meeting.
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Mr Bell is in a meeting.
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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?
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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
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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.
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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.
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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