session

[ sesh-uhn ]
See synonyms for: sessionsessions on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. the sitting together of a court, council, legislature, or the like, for conference or the transaction of business: Congress is now in session.

  2. a single continuous sitting, or period of sitting, of persons so assembled.

  1. a continuous series of sittings or meetings of a court, legislature, or the like.

  2. the period or term during which such a series is held.

  3. sessions, (in English law) the sittings or a sitting of justices in court, usually to deal with minor offenses, grant licenses, etc.

  4. a single continuous course or period of lessons, study, etc., in the work of a day at school: Through a mixture of both lectures and lab sessions, you will develop a broad engineering skill base.

  5. a portion of the year into which instruction is organized at a college or other educational institution: She’s enrolled in a six-week summer session.

  6. the governing body of a local Presbyterian church, composed of the pastor who moderates and the elders.

  7. a period of time during which a group of persons meets to pursue a particular activity: It was the last show before their recording sessions this week where they will produce their first album.

Origin of session

1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English sessio(u)n, cessio(u)n, from Anglo-French, Middle French session, from Latin sessiōn- (stem of sessiō ) “sitting, bench, law-court sitting,” equivalent to sess(us) (past participle of sedēre to sit1) + -iōn- -ion

Other words from session

  • ses·sion·al, adjective
  • pre·ses·sion, noun

Words that may be confused with session

Words Nearby session

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use session in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for session

session

/ (ˈsɛʃən) /


noun
  1. the meeting of a court, legislature, judicial body, etc, for the execution of its function or the transaction of business

  2. a single continuous meeting of such a body

  1. a series or period of such meetings

  2. education

    • the time during which classes are held

    • a school or university term or year

  3. Presbyterian Church the judicial and administrative body presiding over a local congregation and consisting of the minister and elders

  4. a meeting of a group of musicians to record in a studio

  5. a meeting of a group of people to pursue an activity

  6. any period devoted to an activity

Origin of session

1
C14: from Latin sessiō a sitting, from sedēre to sit

Derived forms of session

  • sessional, adjective
  • sessionally, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with session

session

see bull session.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.