parliament

noun

par·lia·ment | \ ˈpär-lə-mənt

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

Advocacy groups have called on the government to bypass the frozen local assembly and introduce legislation in the British parliament in Westminster. — NBC News, "U.K. lawmakers approve bid to legalize gay marriage in Northern Ireland," 9 July 2019 The bill to replace jail terms with fines in certain cases of domestic violence breezed through the Russian parliament in 2017 and was promptly signed by Putin. — Washington Post, "Outrage in Russia as abused teen sisters charged with murder," 5 July 2019 The bill to replace jail terms with fines in certain cases of domestic violence breezed through the Russian parliament in 2017 and was promptly signed by Putin. — Nataliya Vasilyeva, USA TODAY, "Three sisters who killed abusive father charged with murder in Russia. Outrage ensued," 5 July 2019 The anti-immigrant Danish People’s Party (DPP), which was first elected to the Danish parliament in 1998, has relentlessly pushed mainstream parties into adopting ever harsher policies towards immigrants, often Muslims. — The Economist, "Under left or right, Denmark will get ever tougher with migrants," 4 June 2019 Late Serbian hard-line leader Slobodan Milosevic was ousted from power in 2000 after protesters stormed the parliament in Belgrade. — Dusan Stojanovic, The Seattle Times, "Thousands rally in Serbia against populist leader Vucic," 14 Apr. 2019 The proposal, which faces a final vote in the European parliament in January, will now enter three-way negotiations with the European commission and the Council of the European Union, according to the Guardian. — Christopher Carbone, Fox News, "EU copyright law may force Google, Facebook to pay billions to music companies, publishers," 19 Sep. 2018 Hundreds of merchants gathered in front of parliament in Tehran on Monday to protest at the rial's fall, witnesses said. — Andrew Torchia, The Christian Science Monitor, "Iran bans over 1,300 imports amid protests over its plunging currency," 26 June 2018 Candlelight vigils took place across the country, and angry protesters congregated at parliament. — Jennifer Duggan, Marie Claire, "Irish Women Want Their Bodies Back," 15 May 2018

These 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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17 Jul 2019

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The first known use of parliament was in the 13th century

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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