conference vs symposium

conference

noun
  • A formal event where scientists present their research results in speeches, workshops, posters or by other means. 

  • A voluntary association of Congregational churches of a district; the district in which such churches are. 

  • A multilateral diplomatic negotiation. 

  • An event organized by a for-profit or non-profit organization to discuss a pressing issue, such as a new product, market trend or government regulation, with a range of speakers. 

  • The act of consulting together formally; serious conversation or discussion; interchange of views. 

  • A constituent tournament of a sports league in a given season. 

  • A stated meeting of preachers and others, invested with authority to take cognizance of ecclesiastical matters. 

  • A group of sports teams that play each other on a regular basis. 

verb
  • To assess (a student) by one-on-one conversation, rather than an examination. 

symposium

noun
  • A conference or other meeting for discussion of a topic, especially one in which the participants make presentations. 

  • A drinking party in Ancient Greece, especially one with intellectual discussion. 

  • A collection of essays, articles or papers on a particular subject by a number of contributors. 

How often have the words conference and symposium occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )