committee of the whole

noun phrase

: the whole membership of a legislative house sitting as a committee and operating under informal rules

Examples of committee of the whole in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The council meeting was preceded by a committee of the whole meeting. —Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1689, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for committee of the whole

• diethylstilbestrol
• amphibole
• asystole
• buttonhole
• casserole
• centriole
• decontrol
• glycerol
• metropole
• monopole
• multipole
• omeprazole

Legal Definition

committee of the whole

: the whole membership of a legislative house (as the House of Representatives) sitting as a committee and operating under informal parliamentary rules

called also Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union