meetup

IPA/ˈmiːtʌp/
KK[mˈitˌʌp]IPA/ˈmiːtʌp/

meetup — noun

  • meetupsingular
  • meetupsplural

1. an informal gathering of people with a shared interest, hobby, or goal, which ca

1.nounB1
Definition

an informal gathering of people with a shared interest, hobby, or goal, which can take place face-to-face or online

Example

Minh joined a local photography meetup to improve his camera skills.

join + meetup for [interest/hobby]

The book club meetup at the library was cancelled due to heavy rain.

Common collocations
  • join a meetup
  • attend a meetup
  • organize a meetup
  • host a meetup
  • local meetup
  • weekly meetup
  • meetup group
  • meetup event
Synonyms
  • gathering

    more general — can be formal or informal, any size or purpose

  • get-together

    even more casual than 'meetup', usually among friends or family

  • meeting

    can be formal or business-related, unlike the informal feel of 'meetup'

Usage Note

A meetup is less formal than a 'meeting' and usually centres on a shared hobby or interest rather than work or business.

Common Mistakes

I have a business meetup at 3 pm.
I have a business meeting at 3 pm.
'meetup' is for informal, social gatherings; use 'meeting' for formal or work-related events.

2. a group of people who support the same political party and regularly communicate

2.nounB2
Definition

a group of people who support the same political party and regularly communicate with each other over the internet

Example

The senator's online meetup shares campaign news with supporters every evening.

online meetup shares [content] with supporters

Members of the party's internet meetup organized a fundraising event last week.

party's internet meetup organized [event]

Common collocations
  • political meetup
  • online meetup
  • party meetup
  • internet meetup
Synonyms
  • online community

    broader — includes non-political groups of any kind

  • online fan base

    used for celebrity or sports fan groups; 'meetup' is more activist-oriented

Usage Note

This sense is typically used in the context of internet-based political organising and is much less common in everyday speech than sense 1.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe people coming together, but they differ in formality and purpose. 'Meetup' specifically implies an informal event organised around a shared interest (hiking, coding, book clubs) and is the newest of the four, popularised by internet platforms. 'Gathering' is the broadest term — it works for everything from a family dinner to a political rally, but it sounds slightly more neutral and less warm. 'Get-together' is the most casual of the group, used mainly for social events among friends and acquaintances; you would not call a professional networking event a 'get-together'. 'Meeting' is the most formal and purpose-driven — it suggests an agenda, business, or official discussion rather than a relaxed shared-interest activity. For example, 'I have a team meeting at 10' (work) vs. 'there is a board-game meetup tonight' (leisure) vs. 'we had a small family get-together on Sunday' (social).

meetup ↗gathering ↗get-together ↗meeting ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • meetup platform
  • meetup group
  • meetup organizer
  • meetup event
  • meetup schedule

Phrases

  • have a meetup
  • set up a meetup
  • go to a meetup
  • online meetup
  • in-person meetup

Prepositions

  • meetup for [activity/purpose]
  • meetup of [people/group]
  • meetup with [person]

Etymology

Proto-Indo-EuropeanProto-GermanicOld EnglishEnglish

'Meetup' is a compound noun formed from the verb phrase 'meet up', which dates back to the 19th century in the sense of 'to come together by arrangement'. The noun 'meetup' gained widespread use in the early 2000s alongside the launch of Meetup.com, a website designed to help people organise local group gatherings around shared interests. The verb 'meet' comes from Old English 'mētan' (to come upon, find), from Proto-Germanic '*mōtijaną', ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root '*mehd-' (to meet).