parliamentary

adjective

par·​lia·​men·​ta·​ry ˌpär-lə-ˈmen-t(ə-)rē How to pronounce parliamentary (audio)
 also  ˌpärl-yə-
1
a
: of or relating to a parliament
parliamentary elections
parliamentary debate
b
: enacted, done, or ratified by a parliament
a parliamentary grant of money
2
: of or adhering to the parliament as opposed to the king during the English Civil War
… rendered the parliamentary armies … victorious.David Hume
3
: of, based on, or having the characteristics of parliamentary government
parliamentary democracy
4
: of or relating to members of a parliament
have the leader selected by the parliamentary caucusLondon Times
5
: of or according to parliamentary law
parliamentary procedure

Examples of parliamentary in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Visit the Binnenhof, one of Europe’s oldest parliamentary buildings and stroll past Noordeinde Palace, the working palace of the Dutch king. Joanne Shurvell, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025 Reuters — Portugal’s ruling center-right Democratic Alliance (AD) won a snap parliamentary election on Sunday but again fell short of the majority needed to end a long period of instability as the far-right Chega gained a record share of the vote. Reuters, CNN Money, 19 May 2025 In December 1970, Pakistan held parliamentary elections amid widespread demands by Bengalis for greater autonomy. Simon Montlake, Christian Science Monitor, 16 May 2025 Trump and his Republican allies are seeking to use a parliamentary sleight-of-hand known as reconciliation to renew his signature tax cuts and enact big spending cuts. Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 13 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for parliamentary

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Medieval Latin parlamentārius, parliamentārius, from parlamentum, parliamentum parliament + Latin -ārius -ary entry 2

First Known Use

1604, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of parliamentary was in 1604

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Parliamentary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parliamentary. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

parliamentary

adjective
par·​lia·​men·​ta·​ry ˌpär-lə-ˈment-ə-rē How to pronounce parliamentary (audio)
-ˈmen-trē,
 also  ˌpärl-yə-
1
: of, relating to, or enacted by a parliament
2
: of or relating to government by a cabinet whose members belong to and are responsible to the legislature
3
: of or according to the rules governing the way in which official meetings (as of a parliament or congress) are conducted
parliamentary procedure

Legal Definition

parliamentary

adjective
par·​lia·​men·​ta·​ry ˌpär-lə-ˈmen-tə-rē, ˌpärl-yə- How to pronounce parliamentary (audio)
1
a
: of or relating to a parliament
b
: enacted, done, or ratified by a parliament
2
: of, based on, or having the characteristics of parliamentary government
3
: of or relating to the members of a parliament
4
: of or according to parliamentary law

More from Merriam-Webster on parliamentary

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!