Conclave

 WORD OF THE DAY

conclave / noun / KAHN-klay

Definition
1a: a private meeting or secret assembly
1b: a meeting of Roman Catholic cardinals secluded continuously while choosing a pope
2: a gathering of a group or association

Examples
"Until Franklin Roosevelt invited King George VI and the Queen Mother for a visit in 1939, no reigning British ruler had ever set foot on American soil. With the clouds of war on the horizon, their conclave was a key element in bolstering the relationship between the two nations."
— Jonathan L. Stolz, The Virginia Gazette, 24 Jan. 2022

According to Vatican statistics, Francis has elevated 58 percent of the cardinals who would enter a conclave were it held today, with 72 voting cardinals, compared with 39 by Benedict XVI and 13 by Pope John Paul II.
— New York Times, 9 July 2021

Did You Know?
Ever wonder what happens behind locked doors? The etymology of conclave begs this question as the word comes from a Latin term meaning "room that can be locked up."
The English word formerly had the same meaning, but that use is now obsolete. Today, "conclave" refers not to the locked rooms but to the private meetings and secret assemblies that occur within them.
"Conclave" is especially likely to refer to a meeting of Roman Catholic cardinals who have secluded themselves to choose a pope, but it can refer to other types of private or secret meetings as well.
The meaning of "conclave" has also expanded to include gatherings that are not necessarily secret or private but simply involve people with shared interests.