committee of the whole
noun
the entire membership of a legislative body, sitting in a deliberative rather than a legislative capacity, for informal debate and preliminary consideration of matters awaiting legislative action.
Origin of committee of the whole
1First recorded in 1745–55
Words Nearby committee of the whole
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use committee of the whole in a sentence
Their decisions were made in committee-of-the-whole, and nothing was done that could not meet with the willing consent of all.
American Cookery | Various
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