(Lat. concentio, from convenire, to come together), a treaty, contract, or agreement between two or more parties, military commanders, &c.

CONVENTION is also the name given to an extraordinary assembly of the estates of the realm, held without the king's writ; as the assembly which restored Charles II. to the throne. Such also was the convention of estates in 1688, which, upon the flight of James II., declared that he had abdicated the throne, and that the right of succession had devolved to King William and Queen Mary;—upon which the assembly expired as a convention, and was converted into a parliament.

CONVENTION of Estates, in Scotland, previous to the Union, was partly of the nature of a parliament, but differed in this, that the former could only propose taxes, whereas parliament could both impose taxes and make laws.