Dictionary

conventicle en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /kənˈvɛn(t)ək(ə)l/ (General-American)
• /kənˈvɛntɪk(ə)l/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From Late Middle English conventicle, conventicule (“a gathering, meeting (especially a secret or unlawful one); (derogatory) a church”), from Latin conventiculum (“assembly; meeting (or the place involved); association”), from conventus (“assembled, convened”) + -culum (suffix forming noun diminutives), perfect passive participle of conveniō (“to assemble, convene, meet together”), from con- (“together, with”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm (“along, at, next to, with”)) + veniō (“to approach, come”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷem- (“to step”) + *-yéti (suffix forming intransitive, imperfective verbs)).

Meanings

1. A secret, unauthorized or illegal religious meeting.
   • If publique Aſſemblies of Divines cannot agree upon a right vvay, private Conventicles of illeterate men, vvill ſoon finde a vvrong. Bivious demurres breed devious reſolutions. Paſſengers to heaven are in haſte, and vvill vvalk one vvay or other. 1647, Theodore de la Guard [pseudonym; Nathaniel Ward], The Simple Cobler of Aggawam in America. […], London: […] J[ohn] D[ever] & R[obert] I[bbitson] for Stephen Bowtell, […], →OCLC, page 37:
   • In the meantime, Lord Avonleigh found a wonderful resource in being loyal; he attended county meetings, denounced the Puritans, discouraged conventicles, discountenanced long graces or long sermons, and was seized with a sudden veneration for the church as established by law, which led to fines and imprisonment on all absentees from worship as ordained by law. 1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XX, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume III, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 168:
   • [I]f when Luther firſt began to teach new doctrine, the catholiks at that time had not vouchſafed to giue him the hering, but had auoided his prechings & preuy couenticles, ther had not bin now in the worlde, either Lutheran, Swinglian, Calueniſt, Puritan, Anabaptiſt, Trinetarie, Family of loue, Adamite, or the lyke: whereof now there are ſo many thouſands abroad, al ſpringing of that firſt ſecte, and troubling at this day the whole worlde, […] 1581, D. Fulke [i.e., William Fulke], A Briefe Confutation, of a Popish Discourse: […], London: […] [Thomas Dawson] for George Byshop, →OCLC, folio 12, recto and verso:
2. The place where such a meeting is held.
3. A Quaker meetinghouse.

Forms

Deriveds

conventicler

Translations (8)

sv konventikel (secret, unauthorized, or illegal religious meeting) · nb konventikkel (secret, unauthorized, or illegal religious meeting) · fi konventikkeli (secret, unauthorized, or illegal religious meeting) · da konventikel (secret, unauthorized, or illegal religious meeting) · de Konventikel (secret, unauthorized, or illegal religious meeting) · fr conventicule (secret, unauthorized, or illegal religious meeting) · es conventículo (secret, unauthorized, or illegal religious meeting) · pl konwentykiel (secret, unauthorized, or illegal religious meeting)

conventicle en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /kənˈvɛn(t)ək(ə)l/ (General-American)
• /kənˈvɛntɪk(ə)l/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From Late Middle English conventicle, conventicule (“a gathering, meeting (especially a secret or unlawful one); (derogatory) a church”), from Latin conventiculum (“assembly; meeting (or the place involved); association”), from conventus (“assembled, convened”) + -culum (suffix forming noun diminutives), perfect passive participle of conveniō (“to assemble, convene, meet together”), from con- (“together, with”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm (“along, at, next to, with”)) + veniō (“to approach, come”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷem- (“to step”) + *-yéti (suffix forming intransitive, imperfective verbs)).

Meanings

1. To hold a secret, unauthorized or illegal religious meeting.

Forms