a general meeting of all the bishops of the Church whose (the council's) works are approved by a pope

a grand gathering of the whole church establishment, in particular the bishops, which title includes all church ranks from bishop up to the pope

a meeting of bishops whose decisions are approved and promulgated by the Pope

a meeting of the bishops of the world

a Roman Catholic kind of procedure

a synod of the whole church

(or Oecumenical Council) - A gathering to which all of the bishops of the whole inhabited world (in Greek, " oikumene") are called to address the common needs and concerns of the entire Church militant here in earth. To date, there have been seven ecumenical councils: Nicea (325), Constantinople (381), Ephesus (431), Chalcedon (451), Constantinople (553), Constantinople (690), Nicea (787). There have, of course, been no ecumenical councils since the schism between the Eastern and Western churches in 1054; certain councils of the Western church (including four held at the Lateran Palace in Rome) are sometimes, but inaccurately, called "ecumenical."

In Christianity, a worldwide gathering of leaders of the Christian church convened to rule on teachings within the church.

An assembly of representatives of the Church legally con­voked for the settlement of ecclesiastical affairs, formulating dogmas and making rules of faith and morals. Seven Ecumenical Councils are recognized by the Or­thodox Church.

church assembly theoretically representing all catholic countries and peoples, but that ideal was not achieved at the Lateran Council (1512-1517) nor at the Council of Trent (1545-1563). (p. 458)