1
- 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。
1.1
- a formal meeting for discussion讨论会, 协商会。
1.2
- 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。
2
- an association for the regulation of a sphere of activity or the mutual exchange of information同业公会。
2.1
- 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。
2.2
- 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。
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。
短语
in conference
- in a meeting; engaged in discussions在开会; 在议事, 在讨论。
词源
early 16th cent. （in the general sense 'conversation， talk'）： from French conférence or medieval Latin conferentia, from Latin conferre 'bring together' （see CONFER）.