symposium

[sim-poh-zee-uh m] /sɪmˈpoʊ zi əm/
noun, plural symposiums, symposia
[sim-poh-zee-uh] /sɪmˈpoʊ zi ə/ (Show IPA)
1.
a meeting or conference for the discussion of some subject, especially a meeting at which several speakers talk on or discuss a topic before an audience.
2.
a collection of opinions expressed or articles contributed by several persons on a given subject or topic.
3.
an account of a discussion meeting or of the conversation at it.
4.
(in ancient Greece and Rome) a convivial meeting, usually following a dinner, for drinking and intellectual conversation.
5.
(initial capital letter, italics) a philosophical dialogue (4th century b.c.) by Plato, dealing with ideal love and the vision of absolute beauty.
Origin
1580-90; < Latin < Greek sympósion drinking party, equivalent to sym- sym- + po- (variant stem of pī́nein to drink) + -sion noun suffix
Examples from the web for symposium
  • The conference was billed as a symposium on the future of higher education.
  • The games and a post-tournament symposium were organized to spur interest and research in robotics and artificial intelligence.
  • The result: a remarkably thoughtful and civil symposium.
  • Therefore, it's not so odd that you wouldn't see a lot of accounting in an undergraduate research symposium of some sort.
  • To learn more about these dogs writer attended a symposium on them.
  • The league cancelled its annual rookie symposium this week.
British Dictionary definitions for symposium

symposium

/sɪmˈpəʊzɪəm/
noun (pl) -siums, -sia (-zɪə)
1.
a conference or meeting for the discussion of some subject, esp an academic topic or social problem
2.
a collection of scholarly contributions, usually published together, on a given subject
3.
(in classical Greece) a drinking party with intellectual conversation, music, etc
Word Origin
C16: via Latin from Greek sumposion, from sumpinein to drink together, from sum-syn- + pinein to drink
Word Origin and History for symposium
n.

1580s, "account of a gathering or party," from Latin symposium "drinking party, symposium," from Greek symposion "convivial gathering of the educated" (related to sympotes "drinking companion"), from syn- "together" (see syn-) + posis "a drinking," from a stem of Aeolic ponen "to drink," cognate with Latin potare "to drink" (see potion). The sense of "meeting on some subject" is from 1784. Reflecting the Greek fondness for mixing wine and intellectual discussion, the modern sense is especially from the word being used as a title for one of Plato's dialogues. Greek plural is symposia, and the leader of one is a symposiarch (c.1600 in English).