Foregathering

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A collective assembly of people for a planned purpose occurs when individuals unite before an event to engage in discussion or preparation
2. The process involves a prior congregation of individuals who meet to coordinate, strategize, or collaborate ahead of a scheduled event
3. An instance when people come together intentionally for a shared reason before an event

Etymology: "Foregathering" is the gerund of "foregather," which combines "fore-" with "gather." The prefix "fore-" means "before" or "in front," so the verb originally suggested people coming together ahead of something else. Over time the verb came to mean simply to meet or assemble, and the gerund names that act of coming together. The noun in its current sense, an advance group meeting, grows naturally from this verb. A foregathering is a gathering that happens in advance, a preliminary meeting before the main event. The word has a slightly archaic, formal feel, which is part of why it stands out in modern English.

Synonyms: meeting, gathering