parliamentarian
noun
par·lia·men·tar·i·an
ˌpär-lə-ˌmen-ˈter-ē-ən 
-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
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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Parliamentarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parliamentarian. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
parliamentarian
noun
par·lia·men·tar·i·an
ˌpär-lə-ˌmen-ˈter-ē-ən
-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-
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
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