parliamentarian

noun

par·​lia·​men·​tar·​i·​an ˌpär-lə-ˌmen-ˈter-ē-ən How to pronounce parliamentarian (audio)
-mən-,
 also  ˌpärl-yə-
1
often capitalized : an adherent of the parliament in opposition to the king during the English Civil War
2
: an expert in the rules and usages of a deliberative assembly (such as a parliament)
3
: a member of a parliament

Examples of parliamentarian 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.
Between 1981 and 2012, there were only two parliamentarians, but not consecutively. Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 30 May 2025 Republicans went around their own parliamentarian to defy decades of precedent. Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 May 2025 The Senate has only overruled its parliamentarian a handful of times in the 90-year history of the role. Camila Domonoske, NPR, 22 May 2025 Between the lines: Republicans argue the California waiver is a unique case, the GAO does not get to decide what rules can be undone and that their action does not count as overruling the parliamentarian. Stef W. Kight, Axios, 20 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for parliamentarian

Word History

Etymology

parliament + -arian

First Known Use

1642, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of parliamentarian was in 1642

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Parliamentarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parliamentarian. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

parliamentarian

noun
par·​lia·​men·​tar·​i·​an ˌpär-lə-ˌmen-ˈter-ē-ən How to pronounce parliamentarian (audio)
-mən-,
 also  ˌpärl-yə-
: an expert in parliamentary procedure

Legal Definition

parliamentarian

noun
par·​lia·​men·​tar·​i·​an ˌpär-lə-ˌmen-ˈtar-ē-ən, ˌpärl-yə-, -mən- How to pronounce parliamentarian (audio)
1
: an expert in the rules and usages of a parliament or other deliberative assembly
specifically, often capitalized : an officer of a legislative body acting as adviser on matters of procedure

Note: The parliamentarian of the U.S. House of Representatives is appointed by the Speaker of the House. The Secretary of the Senate appoints the Senate's parliamentarian with approval of the majority leader.

2
: a member of a parliament
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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