parliament
noun
par·lia·ment
| \ ˈpär-lə-mənt
also ˈpärl-yə-
\
also ˈpärl-yə-
\
Definition of parliament
1
: a formal conference for the discussion of public affairs
specifically
: a council of state in early medieval England
2a
: 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
3a
: 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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Examples of parliament in a Sentence
The parliament has authority over the armed forces.
The issue was debated in Parliament.
The law was passed in the present parliament.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Since taking office in July, Mr. Johnson has purged cabinet ministers and ordered a five-week suspension of parliament as a tactic to limit its ability to challenge his plan to leave the European bloc with or without a deal. — Ceylan Yeginsu, New York Times, "Fighting Back Tears, Winston Churchill’s Grandson Exits Politics and Chides Boris Johnson," 4 Sep. 2019 John Major, a former Conservative prime minister, has compared Johnson to Charles I, the 17th century king whose suspension of parliament led to the English Civil War and ultimately his own beheading. — NBC News, "The queen isn't meant to get involved in U.K. politics. Boris Johnson just dragged her in.," 28 Aug. 2019 The prorogation of parliament is when the Queen ends one parliamentary session so that another can begin. — Billy Perrigo, Time, "U.K. Government Announces Plans to Suspend Parliament Before Brexit. Here's What That Means," 28 Aug. 2019 On Thursday, Kenyan parliament member Zuleika Hassan was ordered to leave the chamber by Speaker Christopher Omulele after bringing her baby with her to work. — Jennifer Hassan, Washington Post, "‘One of us has polluted the air’: Fart forces county lawmakers to suspend debate in Kenya," 10 Aug. 2019 But as turmoil in Venezuela delays the process, opposition parliament members have questioned whether the government’s continued liaisons with Maduro are wise given that the U.S remains Trinidad’s largest trading partner. — Safiya Charles, The New Republic, "Trump’s Venezuela Policy Is Causing Turmoil in the Caribbean," 9 Aug. 2019 Yelena Mizulina, a parliament member who has proposed a variety of antigay bills in the last seven years, immediately contacted the prosecutor general’s office, and this past month, yoga classes for detainees were suspended. — Masha Gessen, The New Yorker, "How L.G.B.T. Couples in Russia Decide Whether to Leave the Country," 6 June 2019 An opposition member of parliament said unknown people fired shots at his house Wednesday night, while a top official was arrested Thursday and accused of failing to stop supporters from demonstrating against the government. — Washington Post, "Zimbabwe comedian is latest in torture of government critics," 25 Aug. 2019 The landmark legislation was passed despite the Modi government’s lack of a majority in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of parliament. — Niharika Sharma, Quartz India, "Arun Jaitley: From 19 months in prison to the high table of Indian economic affairs," 24 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'parliament.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for parliament
parliament
noun
English Language Learners Definition of parliament
: the group of people who are responsible for making the laws in some kinds of government
: 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
See the full definition for parliament in the English Language Learners Dictionary
parliament
noun
par·lia·ment
| \ ˈpär-lə-mənt
\
\
Kids Definition of parliament
: an assembly that is the highest legislative body of a country (as the United Kingdom)
parliament
noun
par·lia·ment
| \ ˈpär-lə-mənt, ˈpärl-yə-
\
\
Legal Definition of parliament
1a
: 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
2
: the supreme legislative body of a usually major political unit that is a continuing institution comprising a series of individual assemblages
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