senatorial courtesy
noun
: a custom of the U.S. Senate of refusing to confirm a presidential appointment of an official in or from a state when the appointment is opposed by the senators or senior senator of the president's party from that state
Examples of senatorial courtesy in a Sentence
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The process is rooted in senatorial courtesy and is meant to ensure local input in federal appointments.
—
Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Aug. 2025
The two slip rule, critically, remained in effect as long as Democrats controlled the Senate even once Barack Obama took over as president — with Democrats choosing to uphold a senatorial courtesy over partisan advantage.
—Matthew Yglesias, Vox, 3 July 2018
In its defense, the blue slip is a bow in the direction of both bipartisanship and senatorial courtesy.
—Jonathan S. Tobin, National Review, 11 Sep. 2017
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Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Aug. 2025
The two slip rule, critically, remained in effect as long as Democrats controlled the Senate even once Barack Obama took over as president — with Democrats choosing to uphold a senatorial courtesy over partisan advantage.
—Matthew Yglesias, Vox, 3 July 2018
In its defense, the blue slip is a bow in the direction of both bipartisanship and senatorial courtesy.
—Jonathan S. Tobin, National Review, 11 Sep. 2017
Cite this Entry
“Senatorial courtesy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/senatorial%20courtesy. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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