parliament

[pahr-luh-muh nt or, sometimes, pahrl-yuh-] /ˈpɑr lə mənt or, sometimes, ˈpɑrl yə-/

noun

(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.

(usually initial capital letter) the legislature of certain British colonies and possessions.

a legislative body in any of various other countries.

French History. any of several high courts of justice in France before 1789.

a meeting or assembly for conference on public or national affairs.

Cards. fan-tan (def 1).

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

Related forms

antiparliament, adjective

interparliament, adjective

subparliament, noun

Examples from the web for parliament

The country set aside 24 of 80 seats in its parliament for women.
Checks and balances which moderate the power of parliament and that of the emperor are prescribed constitutionally.
This is an internet discussion board, not a house of parliament.
The ombudsman also submits a yearly report to the parliament.
To get anything through parliament needs the supreme leader's blessing.
He was due to depart after the speech to parliament.
It disbanded both houses of parliament and promised to repeal the emergency laws, though only when conditions permit.
On Wednesday, about 200 people gathered near the parliament building to protest the government's proposal as lawmakers convened.
The guidelines will be written into a bill and sent to parliament.
He had spent the better part of his eight-year regime as president, military chief and overseer of a compliant parliament.

British Dictionary definitions for parliament

parliament

/ˈpɑːləmənt/

noun

an assembly of the representatives of a political nation or people, often the supreme legislative authority

any legislative or deliberative assembly, conference, etc

Also parlement. (in France before the Revolution) any of several high courts of justice in which royal decrees were registered

Word Origin

C13: from Anglo-Latin parliamentum, from Old French parlement, from parler to speak; see parley

Parliament

/ˈpɑːləmənt/

noun

the highest legislative authority in Britain, consisting of the House of Commons, which exercises effective power, the House of Lords, and the sovereign

a similar legislature in another country

the two chambers of a Parliament

the lower chamber of a Parliament

any of the assemblies of such a body created by a general election and royal summons and dissolved before the next election

Word Origin and History for parliament

c.1300, "consultation; formal conference, assembly," from Old French parlement (11c.), originally "a speaking, talk," from parler "to speak" (see parley (n.)); spelling altered c.1400 to conform with Medieval Latin parliamentum.

Anglo-Latin parliamentum is attested from early 13c. Specific sense "representative assembly of England or Ireland" emerged by mid-14c. from general meaning "a conference of the secular and/or ecclesiastical aristocracy summoned by a monarch."

parliament in Culture

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.