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

This shift has moved in tandem with the growing dynamic of parliamentarians becoming more rebellious and less loyal to their leadership. — Garret Martin, The Conversation, 31 July 2026

The Monitor reached out to more than a dozen BJP spokespeople and parliamentarians. — Aakash Hassan, Christian Science Monitor, 31 July 2026

Yet the Senate parliamentarian could strike down an attempt to pass a voting overhaul as a budget bill. — Joey Garrison, USA Today, 27 July 2026

Zachary Perry, parliamentarian for NPU-V counts votes to recommend against a City of Atlanta change that would allow a data center to be built in Adair Park on Monday, April 13, 2026. — Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 15 July 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