A meeting is when people come together at a planned time and place to discuss something, make decisions, or work on a project. Your teacher might call a class meeting to talk about an upcoming field trip, or your family might have a meeting around the dinner table to plan summer vacation.

The word can describe both the gathering itself (“We have a meeting after school”) and the act of coming together (“We're meeting at the library at 3 o'clock”). Meetings can be formal, like when a city council meets to vote on new laws, or casual, like when friends arrange a meeting spot at the park. Some meetings are quick and focused: a soccer team might have a brief meeting before the game to review strategy. Others are longer and more involved: a school's principal and teachers might spend hours in meetings planning the school year.

People also use meeting to describe a first encounter. When you read about the meeting of two historical figures, like when Benjamin Franklin met George Washington, you're learning about the moment they first came face to face. In this sense, a meeting can be a significant moment that changes the course of events.

Good meetings have a clear purpose and usually end with everyone understanding what happens next. A meeting without a goal can feel like wasted time, which is why experienced leaders think carefully about when meetings are actually necessary.