parliament
Use Parliament in a sentence
lə noun
1.
( usually initial capital letter ) the legislature of Great Britain, historically the assembly of the three estates, now composed of Lords Spiritual and Lords Temporal, forming together the House of Lords, and representatives of the counties, cities, boroughs, and universities, forming the House of Commons.
2.
( usually initial capital letter ) the legislature of certain British colonies and possessions.
3.
a legislative body in any of various other countries.
4.
French History. any of several high courts of justice in France before 1789.
5.
a meeting or assembly for conference on public or national affairs.
Origin:
1250–1300; Middle English: discourse, consultation, Parliament < Anglo-Latin parliamentum, alteration of Medieval Latin parlāmentum < Old French parlement a speaking, conference (see parle, -ment); replacing Middle English parlement < Old French
1250–1300; Middle English: discourse, consultation, Parliament < Anglo-Latin parliamentum, alteration of Medieval Latin parlāmentum < Old French parlement a speaking, conference (see parle, -ment); replacing Middle English parlement < Old French
Related forms
an·ti·par·lia·ment, adjective
in·ter·par·lia·ment, adjective
sub·par·lia·ment, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
|
Link To parliament
00:10
Parliament
is always a great word to know.
So is bezoar. Does it mean:
| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
| a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
parliament (ˈpɑːləmənt) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | an assembly of the representatives of a political nation or people, often the supreme legislative authority |
| 2. | any legislative or deliberative assembly, conference, etc |
| 3. | Also: parlement (in France before the Revolution) any of several high courts of justice in which royal decrees were registered |
| [C13: from Anglo-Latin parliamentum, from Old French parlement, from parler to speak; see | |
| Parliament (ˈpɑːləmənt) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | the highest legislative authority in Britain, consisting of the House of Commons, which exercises effective power, the House of Lords, and the sovereign |
| 2. | a similar legislature in another country |
| 3. | the two chambers of a Parliament |
| 4. | the lower chamber of a Parliament |
| 5. | any of the assemblies of such a body created by a general election and royal summons and dissolved before the next election |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
parliament
late 13c., from O.Fr. parlement (11c.), originally "speaking, talk," from parler "to speak" (see parley); spelling altered c.1400 to conform with M.L. parliamentum. Anglo-L. parliamentum is attested from early 13c. Related: Parliamentary.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary
parliament [(pahr-luh-muhnt)]An assembly of representatives, usually of an entire nation, that makes laws. Parliaments began in the Middle Ages in struggles for power between kings and their people. Today, parliaments differ from other kinds of legislatures in one important way: some of the representatives in the parliament serve as government ministers, in charge of carrying out the laws that the parliament passes. Generally, a parliament is divided by political parties, and the representative who leads the strongest political party in the parliament becomes the nation's head of government. This leader is usually called the prime minister or premier. Typically, a different person — usually a king, queen, or president — is head of state, and this person's duties are usually more ceremonial than governmental.
Note: The number of nations governed by parliaments has greatly increased in modern times.
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Example sentences
He had spent the better part of his eight-year regime as president, military chief and overseer of a compliant parliament.
Bills are introduced by the executive and adopted by parliament with little attention and few modifications.
Checks and balances which moderate the power of parliament and that of the emperor are prescribed constitutionally.
Regardless of who wins, the closely divided parliament will be a challenge to the new president.
Nearby Words
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
