plenary
adjective
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In the 14th century, the monk Robert of Brunne described a situation in which all the knights of King Arthur's Round Table were present at court by writing, "When Arthures court was plener, and alle were comen, fer and ner.…" For many years, plener (also spelled plenar) served English well for both senses that we reserve for plenary today. But we'd borrowed plener from Anglo-French, and, although the French had relied on Latin plenus ("full") for their word, the revival of interest in the Classics during the English Renaissance led scholars to prefer purer Latin origins. In the 15th century, English speakers turned to Late Latin plenarius and came up with plenary. (Plenarius also comes from plenus, which is the source of our plenty and replenish as well.)
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Examples of plenary in a Sentence
Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2024
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán canceled his planned foreign engagements, including an address to a plenary session of the European Parliament on Wednesday where heated debates were expected over his conduct since Hungary took over the European Union’s rotating presidency in July.
—Karel Janicek and Monika Scislowska, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2024
Ukraine’s parliament will consider the foreign minister’s resignation at one of its plenary meetings soon, Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk said on Telegram.
—Alex Stambaugh, CNN, 4 Sep. 2024
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in Saint Petersburg, Russia June 7, 2024.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2024
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Dictionary Entries Near plenary
Cite this Entry
“Plenary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plenary. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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plenary
adjective
ˈplen-ə-
Legal Definition
plenary
adjective
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