parliament
/ˈpɑɹləmənt/
Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.74 in modern English
Meaning
noun
A formal council summoned (especially by a monarch) to discuss important issues.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
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.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
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).
Countable; Uncountable
noun
a length of time for which a parliament is summoned, in modern times therefore the period between two consecutive elections.
British usage; Countable; Uncountable
name
Alternative letter-case form of parliament, a specific parliament, particularly that of England or the United Kingdom.
Example Sentences
- "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."
- "Following the general election, Jane Doe took her oath of office as a member of the nation's fifth parliament."
- "The acts made in the first Parliament of our most high and dread soveraigne Charles, by the grace of God, King of Great Britaine, France, and Ireland, defender of the faith, &c. […]"
- "[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."
- ""The people at home call it a rook's parliament when a whole crowd of rooks settle on some bare, wide common, and sit there as if they were consulting, not feeding, only stalking about with drooping wings, and solemn black cloaks.""
Etymology
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈpɑɹləmənt/
- British English: /ˈpɑːləmənt/
Usage
- Countable
- Uncountable
- British usage