symposium (n. Pl. –ia, -iums) 1. A drinking-party; a convivial meeting, esp. (Hist.) one held by the ancient Greeks for drinking, conversation, philosophical discussion, etc.; Hist. an account of such a meeting or the conversation at it. 2a A meeting or conference for the discussion of a particular subject; a collection of opinions delivered or a series of articles contributed at such a meeting or conference. b A collection of essays or papers on various aspects of a particular subject by a number of contributors.
--- The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, 1993