Definition of senate
1 : an assembly or council usually possessing high deliberative and legislative functions: such asa : the supreme council of the ancient Roman republic and empireb : the second chamber in the bicameral legislature of a major political unit (such as a nation, state, or province)
2 : the hall or chamber in which a senate meets
3 : a governing body of some universities charged with maintaining academic standards and regulations and usually composed of the principal or representative members of the faculty
From the M-W Editors
Examples of senate in a Sentence
the New York State Senate
The Senate approved the bill.
The Senate voted to repeal the tax cut.
Recent Examples of senate from the Web
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It was submitted to the senate, it was ratified 83 to nothing in 1988.
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While the senate has approved Trump's choice for Air Force secretary, there is currently no one in the running for Army secretary.
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State Sen. Frank Wagner, a longtime lawmaker who sits on the state senate’s budget committee, said Gillespie’s plan is unrealistic and would leave a hold in the state budget that would threaten the state’s vaunted AAA bond rating.
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Brown worked on Pugh's mayoral campaign, after serving as her legislative aide in the state senate.
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Capitalizing on his name and reputation, he was elected to the Fort Thomas City Council and the state senate before entering Congress in 1987.
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The College of Idaho student senate requested that Yik Yak geo-fence their campus, and in Georgia Emory University’s student government denounced the app in a formal resolution.
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Scott Sales, the Republican president of Montana's state senate, unsuccessfully vied against Gianforte for his party's congressional nomination.
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What prompted this seemingly fine upstanding lawyer, newspaper editor and occasional senate candidate to come up with his infernal device?
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'senate'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of senate
Middle English senat, from Anglo-French, from Latin senatus, from sen-, senex old, old man — more at senior
SENATE Defined for English Language Learners
senate
playDefinition of senate for English Language Learners
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the Senate : the smaller group of the two groups of people who meet to discuss and make the laws of a country, state, etc.; especially : the smaller group of the two groups that form the U.S. Congress
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: a group of people who govern some colleges and universities
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the Senate : the group of officials who led the ancient Roman government
SENATE Defined for Kids
senate
playDefinition of senate for Students
1 cap : the upper house of a legislature (as the United States Congress)
2 : a governing body
Law Dictionary
senate
playLegal Definition of senate
: the upper chamber in a bicameral legislature; especially capitalized : the upper house of the U.S. Congress or a state legislature
Learn More about senate
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See words that rhyme with senate Spanish Central: Translation of senate Nglish: Translation of senate for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of senate for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about senate
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