n. 1
A formal agreement, contract, rule, or pact.
n. 2
A meeting or gathering.
The convention was held in Geneva.
n. 3
A formal deliberative assembly of mandated delegates.
The EU installed an inter-institutional Convention to draft a European constitution.
n. 4
The convening of a formal meeting.

Related words

Word family: conventional conventionalize conventioneer convene convener convenient convent conventicle
Phrases: brokered convention convention center open convention

Forms

Plural: conventions → rules, patterns, formulas, normals…

Choose the right word

Convention, Convocation or Assembly?

A convocation is an assembly called by authority for a special purpose; the term convention suggests less dependence upon any superior authority or summons.

J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)

Example sentences

conference The whole world is watching the summit conference.
treaty It seemed clear the Senate would reject the treaty.
cliche The cream exploded into a cliche in the author's coffee mug.

Popularity over time

Word	1850 → 2019	Trend
convention		falling
conference		falling
treaty		falling
cliche		falling

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

3 letters: law¹
4 letters: rule¹, diet², pact¹
5 letters: usage², synod²
6 letters: normal², custom², treaty², cliche²
7 letters: company³, meeting², council², session², pattern², formula³, compact², bargain²
8 letters: congress², contract², assembly³, covenant³
9 letters: agreement³, gathering³, symposium⁴, concourse², convening³, concordat
10 letters: conference³
11 letters: convocation⁴, stipulation⁴
15 letters: conventionality, conventionalism

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (diet² = 2 syllables).

In other languages

Français: convention
Italiano: convenzione
Deutsch: Übereinkunft
Català: convenció