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

Unlike the House’s reconciliation process, the Senate is a more delicate balancing act between a marathon voting session where Democrats try to exploit defections and the chamber’s parliamentarian, who acts as a referee for which policies may be excluded. —Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 9 June 2026

Senate parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough, who serves in a nonpartisan role advising on Senate procedure, had ruled in May that a $1 billion Secret Service provision for the project could not be included in the package. —Justin Papp, CNBC, 8 June 2026

The Senate parliamentarian told Republicans over the weekend that this $1 billion could not be included in the bill under Senate rules. —ABC News, 3 June 2026

The Senate parliamentarian advises the presiding officer on whether the provision violates the rule. —Barbara Sprunt, NPR, 3 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

parliament + -arian

First Known Use

1642, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for parliamentarian

• antiquarian
• libertarian
• millenarian
• nonsectarian
• proletarian
• sanitarian
• trinitarian
• unitarian
• vegetarian
• veterinarian
• agrarian
• aquarian

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