session
Pluralsessions
Pluralsessions
Formssessions, sessioning, sessioned
- 1A period of time used for one activity, such as practice or study.
Like setting aside time just for one thing, the way you might spend an hour only drawing.
We had a two-hour practice session at the gym.
Her morning yoga sessions help her relax.
UsageOften with a word for the activity first: a practice session, a study session.
Similarperiod, class, appointment
- 2An official meeting, or a period of work, of a court, council, or group of lawmakers.
Like a class period at school, but for the people who run the government.
The court is now in session.
Lawmakers held a special session to pass the budget.
UsageA court or parliament is in session when it is meeting.
Oppositerecess, adjournment
Note
- 3The time during which you are logged in or connected to a website or program.
Like the whole time you spend on a phone call: it starts when you connect and ends when you hang up.
Your session will end if you stay inactive too long.
I lost my work when the session timed out.
UsageA session can end, expire or time out.
Similarconnection
Note
- 4Short form of jam session. Used especially for informal folk music get-togethers.
A few of us got together for a folk session at the bar.
The fiddler led the session late into the night.
Note
Less common meanings
- 5To play music together with other musicians in a relaxed, unplanned way.
Like friends getting together to play music for fun, making it up as they go.
After dinner, the folk musicians took out their fiddles to session.
He learned old Irish tunes by sessioning with older players.
Similarjam
Note
- 6
- 7One of the three parts of a day's cricket play, each usually two hours long.
Like splitting a day's game into three parts, with breaks for meals in between.
England lost three wickets in the first session.
The home team lost three wickets in the first session.
Note
- 8A long time spent drinking alcohol, usually with friends.
Like spending a whole afternoon slowly drinking, instead of rushing.
They settled in for a long session at the pub.
After the match, we had a long session at the pub, drinking until midnight.
UsagePeople say a long session at the pub.
Note
- 9The act of sitting down, or the state of being seated.
So much his ascension into heaven and his session at the right hand of God do import.
1594, Richard Hooker, Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical PolitieHere, session means sitting, being seated in a place.Note
- 10The group of leaders who run a Presbyterian church, made up of the pastor and elders.
Showing meanings only.
Practice
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Origin
It comes from Latin sessiō, meaning "a sitting," from the word sedeō, "to sit." English got it through Old French.
Checked 5 Nov 2026 · 5 facts
- English session ultimately comes from Latin sessiō. en.wiktionary.org
- Latin sessiō means "a sitting." en.wiktionary.org
- Latin sessiō derives from sedeō. en.wiktionary.org
- Latin sedeō means "to sit." en.wiktionary.org
- English borrowed session through Old French. en.wiktionary.org