Definition

1. Verb:
   • To call together or summon (a group of people) to a formal meeting or assembly. It implies an official or authoritative summons, often for a specific purpose such as deliberation, ceremony, or decision-making.

Examples of Usage

• Verb:
  • The president has the power to convoke a special session of parliament.
  • The council was convoked to address the emergency.
  • The dean will convoke all department heads for a strategic planning meeting next week.

Advanced Usage

• "to convoke a conference/synod/council": To formally summon a large, often official, gathering for discussion or decision-making.
  • The Pope will convoke a synod of bishops to discuss the issue.
• "convoked for the purpose of...": Used to specify the reason for the assembly.
  • The committee was convoked for the sole purpose of reviewing the ethical guidelines.

Variants and Related Words

• Convocation (n): The act of convoking; a large formal assembly of people.
  • The university's annual convocation is held in the main hall.
• Convener (n): A person who calls people together for a meeting.
  • She acted as the convener for the neighborhood watch group.

Synonyms

• Convene: To come or bring together for a meeting. (Note: 'Convene' is very similar but can be used more broadly and is often less formal than 'convoke'.)
• Summon: To authoritatively call on someone to be present.
• Assemble: To bring people or things together into a group.

Antonyms

• Adjourn: To break off a meeting with the intention of resuming it later.
• Dismiss: To send away; to allow people to leave.
• Dissolve: To formally end or dismiss an assembly.

Related Phrases

• To convoke a meeting: The most common collocation, emphasizing the formal act of calling the meeting into session.
  • The charter allows the chairperson to convoke a meeting at any time.

Verb

1. call together
   • The students were convened in the auditorium