parliamentarian

noun

par·​lia·​men·​tar·​i·​an ˌpär-lə-ˌmen-ˈter-ē-ən 

-mən-

also ˌpärl-yə-

1

often Parliamentarian : an adherent of the parliament in opposition to the king during the English Civil War

2

: an expert in the rules and usages of a deliberative assembly (such as a parliament)

3

: a member of a parliament

Examples of parliamentarian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

He was also disturbed by the 2016 murder of Labour parliamentarian Jo Cox by a far-right figure associated with neo-Nazi groups who had been radicalized online. —Andrew Lapin, Sun Sentinel, 12 Jan. 2026

Council members Mary Brown, D-3rd; Barnes Caldwell; Darren Washington, D-at large; Kenneth Whisenton, D-at large; and Dwight Williams, D-6th, all voted for the former parliamentarian. —Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026

The Senate wasn’t smooth sailing either, as leaders went back and forth with the chamber’s parliamentarian over whether key provisions were allowed under Senate rules governing reconciliation and fought to strike deals with Republican holdouts during a marathon overnight session. —Emily Brooks, The Hill, 14 Dec. 2025

Just 40 percent believe that the government explained the election process for parliamentarians clearly and gave everyone an equal opportunity to compete. —Salma Al-Shami, Foreign Affairs, 5 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

parliament + -arian

First Known Use

1642, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for parliamentarian

• authoritarian
• communitarian
• disciplinarian
• egalitarian
• equalitarian
• humanitarian
• majoritarian
• octogenarian
• radiolarian
• totalitarian
• utilitarian
• agrarian

Kids Definition

parliamentarian

noun

par·​lia·​men·​tar·​i·​an ˌpär-lə-ˌmen-ˈter-ē-ən 

-mən-

also ˌpärl-yə-

: an expert in parliamentary procedure

Legal Definition

parliamentarian

noun

par·​lia·​men·​tar·​i·​an ˌpär-lə-ˌmen-ˈtar-ē-ən, ˌpärl-yə-, -mən- 

1

: an expert in the rules and usages of a parliament or other deliberative assembly

specifically, often capitalized : an officer of a legislative body acting as adviser on matters of procedure

Note: The parliamentarian of the U.S. House of Representatives is appointed by the Speaker of the House. The Secretary of the Senate appoints the Senate's parliamentarian with approval of the majority leader.

2

: a member of a parliament