parliament

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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

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

See parliament defined for English-language learners

See parliament defined for kids

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 of parliament from the Web

But when the agreement became public in Bamako, the capital, there was a public uproar, prompting a motion of censure from parliament.

— kevin sieff, Washington Post, "Europe is trying to cut the flow of migrants from Africa. It won’t be easy.," 31 Aug. 2017
In June, parliament passed a landmark bill enshrining gender identity and expression in the country's human rights act.

— kevin lui, Time, "Canada will soon begin offering a third gender option "X" on its passports and immigration documents.," 24 Aug. 2017
The German parliament passed a partial ban on burqas in April, and France became the first country to outlaw wearing burqas in public in 2011.

— meredith clark, Glamour, "Politician Wears Burqa for Anti-Islam Stunt in the Australian Senate, Horrifies Colleagues," 17 Aug. 2017
In an address to parliament ahead of Thursday's independence day, President Joko Widodo peppered his speeches with references to the need to address inequality in Southeast Asia's biggest economy and tackle the threat of radicalism.

— liam fitzpatrick, Fortune, "Indonesia’s President Pledges to Tackle Extremism and Wealth Distribution," 16 Aug. 2017
Most of the concern within NATO’s leadership and in the halls of its member states’ parliaments can be traced back to one man: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the prime minister of Turkey from 2003 to 2014 and since then its president.

— marc c. johnson, National Review, "As Turkey and NATO Drift Apart, Russia, China, and Iran Stand to Gain," 19 July 2017
For good measure, the leaders of the Welsh and Scottish parliaments, whose consent is also necessary for the bill to pass, have declared their joint opposition.

— andrew sullivan, Daily Intelligencer, "If Republicans Love Their Country, When Will They Show It?," 14 July 2017
Other drivers felt more of a duty to promote the sport in front of 100,000 fans who watched a pop concert and saw F1 cars take to Whitehall, the road leading to the prime minister’s home at Downing Street and parliament.

— rob harris, The Seattle Times, "Hamilton feeling heat after snubbing event before British GP," 13 July 2017
Chaupadi was banned a decade ago, but new legislation currently before parliament will criminalize the practice.

— abigail jones, MSNBC Newsweek, "The Period Movement: Meet the Men Fighting to Stop Menstruation-Shaming in the Developing World," 12 July 2017

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.

Origin and Etymology of parliament

Middle English, from Anglo-French parlement, from parler

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

See Words from the same year

parliament Synonyms

Synonyms

congress

Related Words

assembly, chamber, council, diet, house, legislative, legislature; general assembly, legislative assembly

Other Government and Politics Terms

agent provocateur, agitprop, autarky, cabal, egalitarianism, federalism, hegemony, plenipotentiary, popular sovereignty, socialism

PARLIAMENT Defined for English Language Learners

parliament

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noun

Definition of parliament for English Language Learners

: 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

PARLIAMENT Defined for Kids

parliament

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noun par·lia·ment \ ˈpär-lə-mənt \

Definition of parliament for Students

:an assembly that is the highest legislative body of a country (as the United Kingdom)

Law Dictionary

parliament

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noun par·lia·ment \ ˈpär-lə-mənt, ˈpärl-yə- \

legal Definition of parliament

1 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

2 :the supreme legislative body of a usually major political unit that is a continuing institution comprising a series of individual assemblages