Definition

1. Noun:
   • A formal meeting or series of meetings of a court, legislature, or other official body: A period during which such a group convenes to conduct its business.
   • A period devoted to a particular activity: A continuous, often scheduled, period of time dedicated to a specific purpose, such as study, therapy, or recording.
   • A period of instruction or classes in an educational institution: A term or a single continuous meeting of a class.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The court is now in session. (The court is formally convened and conducting its proceedings.)
  • The council held a closed session to discuss the budget. (The council had a private meeting.)
  • I have a therapy session every Tuesday afternoon. (I attend a scheduled period of therapy.)
  • The band booked a recording session at the studio. (The band reserved time in the studio to record music.)
  • The summer session at the university starts in June. (The university's summer term begins in June.)

Advanced Usage

• "in session": Currently meeting or active.
  • Parliament is in session until December. (Parliament is formally convened and conducting business.)
• "out of session": Not currently meeting or active.
  • The committee is out of session until next month. (The committee is not currently meeting.)

Variants and Related Words

• Sessional (adj): Relating to or occurring during a session.
  • Sessional fees must be paid at the start of the term.
• Session musician (n): A musician hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances, typically not a permanent band member.

Synonyms

• Meeting: A gathering of people for a specific purpose.
• Sitting: A continuous period of a meeting or court proceedings.
• Term: A fixed period during which an institution operates.

Related Phrases

• Question and answer session: A period of time, often following a talk or presentation, dedicated to answering questions from an audience.
  • After the lecture, there will be a brief question and answer session.
• Jam session: An informal gathering of musicians to play music together, often improvising.
  • The musicians stayed late for an impromptu jam session.

Related Idioms

• A session of the minds: (Formal/Legal) A meeting involving discussion and mutual agreement.
  • The contract was finalized after a long session of the minds between the lawyers.

Noun

1. a meeting of spiritualists
   • the seance was held in the medium's parlor
2. a meeting devoted to a particular activity
   • a filming session
   • a gossip session
3. the time during which a school holds classes
   • they had to shorten the school term
4. a meeting for execution of a group's functions
   • it was the opening session of the legislature