parliamentarian

noun par·lia·men·tar·i·an \ ˌpär-lə-ˌmen-ˈter-ē-ən , -mən- also ˌpärl-yə- \

|Updated on: 6 Jun 2018

Definition of parliamentarian

1 often capitalized : 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

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Recent Examples of parliamentarian from the Web

So Norment, who is regarded as a master parliamentarian, attempted a last-ditch maneuver in the committee meeting.

— laura vozzella, Washington Post, "Va. Senate’s GOP leader tries obscure tactic on eve of Medicaid vote," 29 May 2018
The State Department won't intervene to halt the extradition of an ex-Lithuanian judge and parliamentarian wanted on charges stemming from her claim of a powerful pedophile network in Lithuania.

— michael tarm, Fox News, "US won't step in to stop ex-Lithuanian judge's extradition," 26 Apr. 2018
Over 70% of the 100,000 Christians who fled to Kurdistan have returned to their homes on the Nineveh plains, says Romeo Hakari, a Christian parliamentarian in Erbil.

— The Economist, "Fifteen years after America’s invasion, Iraq is getting back on its feet," 28 Mar. 2018
Bloomberg/Getty Images Mark Zuckerberg will not testify before British parliamentarians about Facebook’s role in the Cambridge Analytica scandal, the company has announced.

— david meyer, Fortune, "Mark Zuckerberg Refuses to Testify in the U.K. Over Facebook's Cambridge Analytica Scandal," 27 Mar. 2018
There has been speculation that Clay might find a way to install a new parliamentarian — a referee, of sorts — to replace Biesecker at the next council meeting.

— james briggs, Indianapolis Star, "As Stephen Clay loses support, a new frontrunner for City-County Council president emerges," 2 Feb. 2018
This is the first electoral law crafted with the collaboration of parliamentarians and civil society activists.

— jeffrey g. karam, Washington Post, "Lebanese citizens vote Sunday. Here are 4 things to know about the first parliamentary elections since 2009.," 4 May 2018
Only a last-minute intervention from Wilson's local parliamentarian saved her from being deported and separated from her daughter and granddaughter, Ashwell said.

— kim hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, "The U.K. has DREAMers, too. And Britain is trying to deport them.," 17 Apr. 2018
Others see a risk that anti-EU transnational lists could do well, while some are also concerned the system would create two classes of EU parliamentarians.

— jaimy jones, Houston Chronicle, "Only 2 on Pasadena council still receive increased vehicle allowance," 13 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'parliamentarian.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of parliamentarian

1642

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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PARLIAMENTARIAN Defined for English Language Learners

parliamentarian

noun

Definition of parliamentarian for English Language Learners

: a member of a parliament; especially : a member who knows a lot about the way things are done in a parliament

Law Dictionary

parliamentarian

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

legal Definition of parliamentarian

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