a formal meeting which typically takes place over a number of days and involves people with a shared interest, especially one held regularly by an association or organization (尤指协会、机构等定期召开的)正式会议 an international conference on the environment. 关于环境问题的国际会议。 the Labour Party Conference. 工党会议。 ■a formal meeting for discussion 讨论会,协商会 ■[usu. as modifier]a linking of several telephones or computers, so that each user may communicate with the others simultaneously: (电话或计算机)会议(多台电话机或计算机连接,使每一用户均能与其他用户同时交谈) a conference call. 电话会议。
an association for the regulation of a sphere of activity or the mutual exchange of information 同业公会 ■an association of sports teams or athletic clubs which play each other (由数个运动队或运动俱乐部组成的互相进行比赛的)体育联合会,体育协会 ■the governing body of some Christian Churches, especially Methodist Churches (尤指循道宗教会的)基督教主管团体;基督教教会联合会
verb
[no obj.][usu. as noun conferencing]take part in a conference or conference call 参加会议(或电话会议) video conferencing. 参加电视会议。
常用词组 in conference
in a meeting; engaged in discussions 在开会;在议事,在讨论
语源
early 16th cent. (in the general sense 'conversation, talk'): from French conférence or medieval Latin conferentia, from Latin conferre 'bring together' (see confer)