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.
Polls show that a majority of French citizens want snap parliamentary elections. Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 9 Sep. 2025 In the event of another snap parliamentary election, a recent Elabe poll suggests the National Rally would emerge on top, with the left coming in second and Macron’s centrist bloc a distant third. Saskya Vandoorne, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025 Political and economic upheaval has dominated Europe's third-largest economy after inconclusive snap parliamentary elections last year saw parties on both the left and right win consecutive rounds of polling. Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 8 Sep. 2025 The search for a fourth leader highlights Macron's struggle to build parliamentary support in a chamber dominated by opponents. Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 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 11 Sep. 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!