Video Conference: Definition, Examples, and Usage Tips

Meaning 1：virtual meeting (Video conference)

Video conference 🔊

/ˈvɪdi.oʊ ˈkɑːnfərəns/

A meeting where people use cameras and internet to see and talk to each other from different places.

Video conference meeting with smiling participants on screen

virtual meeting 🔊

➕

/ˈvɜːrtʃuəl ˈmiːtɪŋ/

A meeting conducted via video and audio over the internet, allowing participants from different locations to communicate face-to-face in real time.

📁 Category：Technological Inventions 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'videre' (to see) + 'conferre' (to bring together).

💡 Mnemonic

Think: 'video' + 'conference' = a visual meeting where you see everyone on screen.

📖 Example

My boss scheduled a video conference for all employees to discuss the new project. 🔊 My boss scheduled a video conference for all employees to discuss the new project.

🔗 Collocations

hold a video conference – to organize and conduct a virtual meeting

join a video conference – to participate in an online meeting via video link

via video conference – using video conferencing technology as the means of communication

🔄 Synonyms

teleconference (n) – A conference held over a telephone or network, often including video.

webinar (n) – A seminar conducted over the internet, typically with one presenter and many attendees.

virtual meeting (n) – A meeting that takes place online rather than in a physical location.

🚫 Antonyms

face-to-face meeting (n) – A meeting where participants are physically present in the same room.

in-person meeting (n) – A meeting conducted with direct physical interaction.

letter correspondence (n) – Communication via written letters, lacking real-time interaction.

🌱 Derivatives

videoconferencing (n) – The technology or practice of holding video conferences.

videoconference (v) – To hold or participate in a video conference.

videoconference call (n) – A specific instance of a video conference.

📖 Cultural Story

First used in the 1960s with early satellite technology; now common in business via platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Teams.