Pleno

Pleno is a term used in Spanish and Portuguese from the Latin plenus, meaning full or complete. In both languages it functions as an adjective and, in institutional contexts, as part of names for assemblies and sessions. The central sense is that a pleno event or body involves the participation of the full membership.

In Spanish-speaking contexts, el pleno refers to the plenary chamber or the plenary session of a legislative body, council, or other organization. It denotes both the body as a whole and its full assembly in a single meeting. Examples include el Pleno del Congreso, el Pleno del Senado, or el Pleno municipal. Plenary sessions are typically held to address major measures, budgets, or fundamental issues, and they are distinguished from committees or commissions that meet with only a portion of members. The term is widely used in national, regional, and local governments, as well as in other corporate or civic bodies.

In Portuguese, pleno primarily means full or complete, while the standard term for the full assembly is plenário. Nevertheless, pleno appears in fixed phrases such as pleno direito (full rights) or pleno exercício, and in judicial contexts as Tribunal Pleno or Pleno do tribunal, referring to a panel that includes all judges. The concept emphasizes completeness or totality, rather than a partial or sectional gathering.

Overall, pleno conveys the idea of a full, unanimously participating body or session, and the term is closely related to the English “plenary” or “plenum.”