Entry Word: congress

Function: noun

Meaning: 1 the highest lawmaking body of a political unit <the national emergency required a special session of congress>

Synonyms parliament

Related Words assembly, chamber, council, diet, house, legislature

2 a coming together of a number of persons for a specified purpose <following World War I a great congress of world leaders took place in Paris to plan the postwar world> — see meeting 1
3 a group of persons formally joined together for some common interest <the Canada Trades and Labor Congress> — see association 2