What is a plenum - not everyone knows, because today this concept is not very widespread. The fact is that this word was more popular in Soviet times. Why?
Meaning of the word “plenum”
In different dictionaries, the meaning of a word is defined a little differently, but the essence is the same. For example, in the explanatory dictionary of Efremova we will read that this term means a meeting of members of the elected governing body of the organization. Recall such an important organization in Soviet times - the CPSU. Very often, our grandparents opened newspapers and read resolutions and other decisions of the Plenum of the CPSU Central Committee. The party’s central committee was an elected organization. In order to be able to join the committee, a person had to obtain the status of a candidate for membership in the committee. Of course, with such a status one could not get into the committee, but still ... So, from time to time, general meetings of the Central Committee were held, which were called plenums. At these meetings, crucial decisions for the state were made.
What is the plenum: other opinions
We have already emphasized that the interpretation of this word is found in several dictionaries of the Russian language. According to Sergei Ozhegov, the plenum is a plenary meeting. The originality of this point of view is that the meeting can be held both in the elected and in the appointed body. In addition, meetings are also held by public organizations, whose members are by no means elected. See what an interesting situation we have! It seems to be one simple word, but different philologists interpret the meaning of the word "plenum" a little differently.
Ushakov’s explanatory dictionary interprets what the plenum is, in a slightly different way. In the understanding of this author, the plenum is a meeting of the members of some organization in its entirety. That is, if at the meeting there will not be any of the members of the union (party, etc.), then such a format of the meeting cannot be called a plenary.
There are different opinions about what the plenum is.