different between conference vs discuss

English

Etymology

From Middle French conférence, from Medieval Latin conferentia, from Latin conferens.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?k?n.f??ns/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?k?n.f?.??ns/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?k?n.f?.??ns/, [?k???.f??ns], [?k???.f?n?s]

Noun

conference (plural conferences)

1. The act of consulting together formally; serious conversation or discussion; interchange of views.
2. (politics) A multilateral diplomatic negotiation.
3. (sciences) A formal event where scientists present their research results in speeches, workshops, posters or by other means.
4. (business) An event organized by a for-profit or non-profit organization to discuss a pressing issue, such as a new product, market trend or government regulation, with a range of speakers.
5. (sports) A group of sports teams that play each other on a regular basis.
6. (Philippines, sports) A constituent tournament of a sports league in a given season.
7. (obsolete) The act of comparing two or more things together; comparison.
   • 1594, Richard Hooker, Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie

     helps and furtherances which […] the mutual conference of all men's collections and observations may afford

8. (Methodist Church) A stated meeting of preachers and others, invested with authority to take cognizance of ecclesiastical matters.
9. A voluntary association of Congregational churches of a district; the district in which such churches are.

Derived terms

Translations

See also

• discussant, lecturer, parleyer, prelector, speaker.

The Writing-Rich High School Classroom: Engaging Students in ...

Verb

conference (third-person singular simple present conferences, present participle conferencing, simple past and past participle conferenced)

1. (transitive, intransitive, education) To assess (a student) by one-on-one conversation, rather than an examination.
   • 2009, Jennifer Berne, The Writing-Rich High School Classroom

     The students who were conferenced on paper 1 will get a written response to paper 2, and those who received a written response to paper 1 will be conferenced on paper 2.

English

Etymology

From Middle French and Anglo-Norman discusser (French discuter), from Latin discussus, past participle of discuti? (“to strike or shake apart, break up, scatter; examine, discuss”), from dis- (“apart”) + quati? (“to shake”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /d?s?k?s/, /d?s?k?s/
• (US) IPA^(key): /d?s?k?s/
• Rhymes: -?s

Verb

discuss (third-person singular simple present discusses, present participle discussing, simple past and past participle discussed)

1. (transitive) To converse or debate concerning a particular topic.

2. (transitive, obsolete) To communicate, tell, or disclose (information, a message, etc.).
   • c. 1597, William Shakespeare, Merry Wives of Windsor, act 1, scene 3:

     Nym: I will discuss the humour of this love to Page.

   • c. 1599, William Shakespeare, Henry V, act 4, scene 1:

     Pistol: Discuss unto me; art thou officer? Or art thou base, common and popular?

3. (obsolete, transitive) To break to pieces; to shatter.
4. (obsolete, transitive, colloquial) To deal with, in eating or drinking; consume.
   • 1854, Samuel White Baker, The Rifle and the Hound in Ceylon:

     We sat quietly down and discussed a cold fowl that we had brought with us.

   • 1858, James Hogg, Titan (volume 27, page 306)

     In the first room we entered, a soldier and a man, like a clerk or dominie, were discussing a bottle of red wine; they immediately sprang up and politely proffered us each a bumper.

5. (transitive, law) To examine or search thoroughly; to exhaust a remedy against, as against a principal debtor before proceeding against the surety.
6. (obsolete, transitive) To drive away, disperse, shake off; said especially of tumors.
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, III.i:

     For she was giuen all to fleshly lust,
     And poured forth in sensuall delight,
     That all regard of shame she had discust,
     And meet respect of honour put to flight […]

   • June 15, 1751, Samuel Johnson, letter in The Rambler

     The softness of my hands was secured by medicated gloves, and my bosom rubbed with a pomade prepared by my mother, of virtue to discuss pimples, and clear discolourations.

   • 1642, Henry Wotton, Short View of the Life and Death of George Villers Duke of Buckingham

     Many arts were used to discuss the beginnings of new affliction.

Synonyms

• (converse about a topic): bespeak, betalk, debate, talk about

Derived terms

Related terms

• quash

Translations

See also

• argue

Further reading

• discuss in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• discuss in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• discuss at OneLook Dictionary Search