committee of the whole

noun phrase

: the whole membership of a legislative house sitting as a committee and operating under informal rules

Examples of committee of the whole in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Government Services Committee is a committee of the whole, meaning all City Council members sit on the panel. Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2025 The committee's recommendations came in a report presented at the board's April 8 committee of the whole meeting. Alec Johnson, Journal Sentinel, 23 Apr. 2024 The City Council, acting as a committee of the whole, recommended approving a proposal raising the salaries of the mayor, city clerk/treasurer, city attorney and for members of the City Council and... Tom Sissom, arkansasonline.com, 21 Nov. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1689, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of committee of the whole was in 1689

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Committee of the whole.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/committee%20of%20the%20whole. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

Legal Definition

committee of the whole

: the whole membership of a legislative house (as the House of Representatives) sitting as a committee and operating under informal parliamentary rules

called also Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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