noun

• 1A formal meeting or series of meetings for discussion between delegates, especially those from a political party, trade union, or from within a particular sphere of activity.

  ‘an international congress of mathematicians’

  More example sentences

  • ‘In the past, disputes at Green party congresses were often vehement and passionate, although usually conducted on a very low level.’
  • ‘At the same time, the party congress was instructive in exposing the political background of the latest round of anti-foreigner and German nationalist agitation.’
  • ‘Hundreds of psychologists from all over the world attend our annual conventions, and hundreds of U.S. psychologists attend international congresses and other overseas meetings each year.’
  • ‘Apart from some holiday speeches at their recent congress, the Socialist Party has been unwilling to even raise a finger against his measures.’
  • ‘The citizens' insurance model favoured by the party congress is a two-sided coin.’
  • ‘At party congresses, the revisionists, who argued for a reconciliation with the existing social order, were regularly outvoted.’
  • ‘At a party congress held in Berlin on August 27, Germany's recently founded Left Party adopted its program for the federal election due to take place on September 18.’
  • ‘Finally, she was cheered frenetically at the party congress, where she was elected by a membership that did not want to hear about any more dirty business.’
  • ‘Just a few months later, she won a majority of the votes at the party congress in Dresden in the election for CDU deputy chairperson.’
  • ‘It is now preoccupied by a fight with the left for control of the party at its congress this month.’
  • ‘The power to decide on a candidate to steer Namibia's boat for the next five years lies in the hands of delegates taking part in next weekend's extraordinary congress of the Swapo Party.’
  • ‘He said the next plenum of the central committee, scheduled after local party congresses from August this year to before March next year, will touch upon personnel matters for a new party leadership.’
  • ‘In the end, two party congresses were held instead of one.’
  • ‘He said the party had decided to hold the party congress by the end of the year, so that it could have a greater influence ahead of the 2006 general elections.’
  • ‘The panelists, members of a national government advisory congress, intervened and heard the student out, according to one witness and accounts by others posted on the Internet.’
  • ‘Madisha was speaking at the sixth annual national congress of the SA Municipal Workers' Union here.’
  • ‘The GAA's national congress in April will vote on changing its structure, which would allow its smaller central council to make a decision on ending the ban.’
  • ‘He said the party's national congress was the only body that could change the UDM's position.’
  • ‘The very notion of an ‘Indonesian’ women's congress foregrounded its nationalist drive.’
  • ‘One might as well propose steak tartare for the banquet of the next world congress of vegans.’

  Synonyms

  conference, convention, seminar, colloquium, symposium, consultation, forum, meeting, assembly, gathering, congregation, rally, convocation, summit, synod, council, conclave

  View synonyms

• 2

  (also Congress)

  A national legislative body, especially that of the US. The US Congress, which meets at the Capitol in Washington DC, was established by the Constitution of 1787 and is composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

  ‘legislative power is held by a 72-member National Congress’

  More example sentences

  • ‘changes in taxation required the approval of Congress’
  • ‘As you know, I have spend most of week up on Capitol Hill covering the Congress.’
  • ‘She could get seven years and says she plans to take her case to the United Nations and the U.S. Congress.’
  • ‘The Congress of the United States and the president of the United States unite.’
  • ‘The president of the United States is going to the Congress of the United States.’
  • ‘The House of Representatives is the larger of the two Houses of Congress.’
  • ‘He ought to go to the Congress of the United States if he wants to wage war.’
  • ‘If the Republicans are going to control only one house of Congress, then it would be best if it was the Senate.’
  • ‘Soon, the White House and Congress will cut deals, and some funds will be restored.’
  • ‘Sign up for the rally now or send a message to your Senators and Representative in Congress.’
  • ‘The Congress stood on the steps and sang together, both Democrats and Republicans.’
  • ‘This motion will be presented to the House of Delegates at Congress in April.’
  • ‘On the next day, Congress chose George Washington to be its commander in chief.’
  • ‘The President didn't ask Congress to pass a law to give him such authorization.’
  • ‘Then, as now, Republicans controlled Congress and Democrats the White House.’
  • ‘This is his way to win the votes for the Republican people up in Congress.’
  • ‘There is only one problem: Congress has not yet made available any money for the program.’
  • ‘It takes money to run the Department of Justice, and Congress controls the purse.’
  • ‘Some Democrats in Congress apparently think the same is true of the United States.’
  • ‘Now they are holding midnight sessions of congress to overturn 19 state judges and interfere in people's most personal decisions.’

  Synonyms

  legislature, legislative assembly, parliament, convocation, diet, council, senate, chamber, chamber of deputies, house

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• 3(often in names) a political society or organization.

  ‘Her next job was at Central Australian Aboriginal Congress, as a Child Health Coordinator.’

  More example sentences

  • ‘The National Congress of Indians provides national leadership on issues facing tribal communities throughout the United States.’
  • ‘The Congress of Neurological Surgeons exists to enhance health and improve lives worldwide through the advancement of education and scientific exchange.’
  • ‘The American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine serves people with disabling conditions by promoting rehabilitation research and facilitating information dissemination and the transfer of technology.’

• 4mass noun The action of coming together.

  ‘sexual congress’

  More example sentences

  • ‘Violent husbands offer excuses that range from the wife not doing housework, her frequent visits to her parents' home, or refusing the husband's request for sexual congress.’
  • ‘The dictionary says that ‘tupping’ describes what rams do to ewes but I first came across it being used in relation to human sexual congress.’
  • ‘It is still against the law to indulge in any kind of sexual congress in a public place, and quite rightly so.’
  • ‘He tells us, for example, that in the Elizabethan period ‘it was customary for men and women to have sexual congress almost fully clothed’.’
  • ‘Just as we tired of lugging the water, the men tired of not enjoying sexual congress.’
  • ‘There was formerly a tribe of South Sea islanders who, until discovered by explorers, had never made the connection between sexual congress and pregnancy.’
  • ‘Indiscriminate sexual congress in teenagers is regarded as wholesome.’
  • ‘In taking such excessive, evasive action he was not the only eminent Victorian to be sickened by the idea of engaging in sexual congress.’
  • ‘There are so many euphemisms for the act of sexual congress.’
  • ‘It would be ideal if all sexual congress took place between consenting couples in love but unfortunately this is unrealistic.’
  • ‘Her choice to have or not have children is reconsidered with each menstrual cycle and with each sexual congress.’
  • ‘Victorian prudery did the rest, followed in quick succession by an unhealthy determination to class sexual congress as obscene and therefore not to be discussed, far less celebrated.’
  • ‘This does not mean that he has, or attempts to have, sexual congress with these women, especially against their will.’
  • ‘I'm sick of the adolescent way this makes me feel, the adolescent way it makes me talk, the nervousness creeping into sexual congress.’
  • ‘Even with sterile people, there is a symbolism in the union of male and female that speaks to the core nature of sexual congress and its ideal instantiation.’
  • ‘Your situation is not unlike the girl who permits everything but the textbook definition of sexual congress so she can say she's a virgin.’
  • ‘But the really amazing part was that Maria had never had sexual congress with a man before, and was thus a virgin.’
  • ‘The narrator and Anne take a seaside holiday, during which the prospect of sexual congress is anticipated.’
  • ‘As might be expected, any suggestion of female sexuality or of sexual congress outside of marriage is treated as immoral and shameful.’