parliamentarian

noun

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

-mən-,

 also  ˌpärl-yə-

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

Examples of parliamentarian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Some of Monday’s meeting focused on the parliamentarian’s ruling that a provision that would require states to share the cost of the SNAP was out of order. —Allison Pecorin, ABC News, 24 June 2025

Are the parliamentarian’s rulings final, or could they be overturned? —Nik Popli, Time, 23 June 2025

If the parliamentarian rules that scoring the extension of the 2017 tax cuts as largely budget neutral in the years beyond 2034 would be a violation of the Byrd Rule, Republicans may have to vote to override the parliamentarian or rewrite the bill. —Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 22 June 2025

The Catholic Church is among the most prominent global opponents against euthanasia, and high-ranking clerics across the nation launched a campaign to sway parliamentarians against the bill. —Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 31 May 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