First Known Use: 13th century
Dictionary
parliament
noun par·lia·ment \ˈpär-lə-mənt also ˈpärl-yə-\
: the group of people who are responsible for making the laws in some kinds of government
Parliament : a particular parliament; especially : the parliament of the United Kingdom that includes the House of Commons and the House of Lords
: the period of time during which a parliament is working
Full Definition of PARLIAMENT
1
: a formal conference for the discussion of public affairs; specifically : a council of state in early medieval England
2
a : an assemblage of the nobility, clergy, and commons called together by the British sovereign as the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom b : a similar assemblage in another nation or state
3
a : the supreme legislative body of a usually major political unit that is a continuing institution comprising a series of individual assemblages b : the British House of Commons
4
: one of several principal courts of justice existing in France before the Revolution of 1789
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Origin of PARLIAMENT
Middle English, from Anglo-French parlement, from parler
Related to PARLIAMENT
- Synonyms
- congress
Other Government and Politics Terms
PARLIAMENT Defined for Kids
parliament
noun par·lia·ment \ˈpär-lə-mənt\
Definition of PARLIAMENT for Kids
: an assembly that is the highest legislative body of a country (as the United Kingdom)
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