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

But the pact has stirred political tensions across Europe, and prompted sparring in France’s parliament Tuesday. — Jamey Keaten, The Seattle Times, "Unfinished business: UN migrant pact inked, but foes remain," 11 Dec. 2018 Meghan chose the outfit for her and Prince Harry's meeting with Prime Minister S. Akilisi and parliament members. — Chloe Foussianes, Town & Country, "Meghan Markle Wears a Striped Martin Grant Dress for Her Second Day in Tonga," 25 Oct. 2018 But the military is not under civilian oversight and retains an outsized role in the country’s political arena, controlling a quarter of all parliament seats as well as three key ministries. — Timothy Mclaughlin, WIRED, "How Facebook’s Rise Fueled Chaos and Confusion in Myanmar," 6 July 2018 Thousands of people marched towards the parliament building in Tehran, angered by rising prices and a sinking currency. — The Economist, "Politics this week," 28 June 2018 Hungary’s parliament last week approved a legislative package aimed not only at barring the gates to almost any outsider — but also decreeing punishment for those who try to aid would-be migrants. — Laura King, latimes.com, "The European country that makes the U.S. look lenient on immigration," 28 June 2018 A year ago, Saranzaya Chambuu says she was raped by a member of Mongolia’s parliament. — Staff, The Christian Science Monitor, "Meanwhile in ... Mongolia, women are experiencing their own #MeToo movement," 28 June 2018 His allies in the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, have proposed laws that would restrict the powers of police and judges to hold politicians to account. — Matthew Campbell, Bloomberg.com, "Benjamin Netanyahu Could Be Heading for a Fifth Term. Or to Court," 14 June 2018 Sanchez said in brief comments to reporters after the 180-169 vote in the Congress of Deputies, Spain’s parliament. — Time, "Spain's New Leader Vows to Fight Corruption After Predecessor Mariano Rajoy's Ouster," 1 June 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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2 Jan 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

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

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