senate
noun
an assembly or council of citizens having the highest deliberative functions in a government, especially a legislative assembly of a state or nation.
senate
American
[sen-it]
/ ˈsɛn ɪt /
noun
-
senates
plural
-
an assembly or council of citizens having the highest deliberative functions in a government, especially a legislative assembly of a state or nation.
-
(initial capital letter) the upper house of the legislature of certain countries, as the United States, France, Italy, Canada, Ireland, Republic of South Africa, Australia, and some Latin American countries.
-
the room or building in which such a group meets.
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Roman History. the supreme council of state, the membership and functions of which varied at different periods.
-
a governing, advisory, or disciplinary body, as in certain universities.
Senate
1
British
/ ˈsɛnɪt /
noun
-
the upper chamber of the legislatures of the US, Canada, Australia, and many other countries
-
the legislative council of ancient Rome. Originally the council of the kings, the Senate became the highest legislative, judicial, and religious authority in republican Rome
-
the ruling body of certain free cities in medieval and modern Europe
senate
2
British
/ ˈsɛnɪt /
noun
-
any legislative or governing body considered to resemble a Senate
-
the main governing body at some colleges and universities
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of senate
1175–1225; Middle English senat < Latin senātus council of elders, equivalent to sen ( ex ) old + -ātus -ate 3
Explanation
When a government is split into two houses, or assemblies, one of them — the "upper house" — is called a senate. The main job of most senates is to take a second look at legislation after it's been passed by the lower house. The idea of a senate as a legislative assembly goes back to the founding of Rome, around 750 B.C.E., with the word taken from the Latin senatus, meaning "highest council." That word, then, is thought to come from senex, meaning "old man," in this case probably meant as a form of respect for wisdom. The word later grew to include national government, and the United States took the word in 1775 to refer to the upper level of the legislature. Today, you can get elected to a senate even if you're not an old man.
Vocabulary lists containing senate
Ancient Rome - Introductory
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Canada - Middle School and High School
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South Asia - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Last month, the state canceled the remaining $250 million—after a 35-4 senate vote in the opposite direction.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
The blonde executive assistant to the president was then mentioned by a Democratic senate hopeful, in comments that set the internet alight -- and incensed the White House.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
Sarwar previously said he would not take a peerage, and both he and Andy Burnham have expressed support for replacing the Lords with a senate of the nations and regions.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
“I said as a senate candidate that I’d be focused on the down ballot and my plan to do that hasn’t changed.”
From Salon ● Jun. 25, 2026
“Octavian, go with him. See the ship. We’ll convene a senate meeting in one hour.”
From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan
Frenk responded to the Academic Senate with his own letter.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
The Senate passed the bill with 86 votes last month, and it now heads to Mr. Trump’s desk.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
Schroyer's nomination did not manage to make it to a full Senate vote and had stalled in the Senate's Homeland Security committee.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
Capitol in a wheelchair on Monday, as the Senate returned for its final legislative sprint ahead of the midterms, came as a shock to many observers.
From Salon ● Sep. 17, 2026
Senate office whose steady demeanor would keep me grounded in high-stress moments—plus a no-nonsense, politically savvy communications specialist named Stephanie Cutter.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
Since news of the deal broke, he said he has met with the system chancellors, provosts, program directors and faculty senates about the acquisition.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 31, 2023
But the school’s faculty and student senates each passed resolutions calling for a change and the university’s alumni board of directors supported reassessing the team name’s appropriateness.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 10, 2021
State senates range in size from twenty members in Alaska to sixty-seven members in Minnesota.
From Textbooks ● Jul. 28, 2021
The animosity has spread to the 50 statehouses and the 7,382 people who serve in the houses and senates there.
From Salon ● Jun. 24, 2012
He saw himself riding in processions, acclaimed by thousands, dictating to senates, the idol of a rejoicing Dublin.
From The Wild Geese by Stanley John Weyman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
