Parliament

Quick meaning: Parliament is a noun meaning (now chiefly historical) A formal council summoned (especially by a monarch) to discuss important issues.

Meaning

(now chiefly historical) A formal council summoned (especially by a monarch) to discuss important issues.

More Meanings

1. (collective) A gathering of birds, especially rooks or owls.
2. (UK) a length of time for which a parliament is summoned, in modern times therefore the period between two consecutive elections.
3. In many countries, the legislative branch of government, a deliberative assembly or set of assemblies whose elected or appointed members meet to debate the major political issues of the day, make, amend, and repeal laws, authorize the executive branch of government to collect and spend money, and in some cases exercise judicial powers; a legislature.
4. A particular assembly of the members of such a legislature, as convened for a specific purpose or period of time (commonly designated with an ordinal number – for example, first parliament or 12th parliament – or a descriptive adjective – for example, Long Parliament, Short Parliament and Rump Parliament).
5. (historical) Parliament cake, a type of gingerbread.

Example Sentences

Following the general election, Jane Doe took her oath of office as a member of the nation's fifth parliament.

By the 13th Century, a parliament was when kings met up with English barons to raise cash for fighting wars - mostly against Scotland.

The row started over who will run for parliament in a wealthy rightwing constituency on the left bank in Paris, a safe seat for Sarkozy's ruling UMP.

[T]he army under Lambert again thrust the Rump Parliament out of doors, and commenced a new military government, by means of a committee of officers, called the Council of Safety.

Word Forms

• parliaments
• parlament

Synonyms for parliament

Depending on context, synonyms include fantan, sevens.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include fantan, sevens, congressional, parliamentarian, parliamentary, council.

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