congressional
Americanadjective
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of or relating to a congress.
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(usually initial capital letter) of or relating to the Congress of the U.S..
a Congressional committee.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of congressional
1685–95; < Latin congressiōn- (stem of congressiō ) a coming together, equivalent to congress ( us ) ( see congress) + -iōn- -ion + -al 1
Explanation
Anything congressional is related to a congress, which is the law-making body of a country. Congress (with a capital “c”) is the law-making branch of the US government. Silly campaign ads start showing up before a congressional race. Congressional most often describes anything related to the US Congress. Congress is the legislative branch of the government, made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate. These people are voted in. In the US, you vote for a representative in your congressional district. Congressional districts are decided by population, and each state has at least one representative in congress. Congressional hearings are meetings where laws are discussed. Congressional cocktail parties are where members of congress whoop it up.
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.
She is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and had support from prominent leftist lawmakers.
From Barron's • Jul. 1, 2026
Unfortunately, the case for neither change is very persuasive, and the trustees are significantly more optimistic than the Congressional Budget Office or the Census Bureau.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 1, 2026
She toppled Adriano Espaillat, who had held the district for five terms and is chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, a body that advocates for legislation and resources for Hispanic Americans.
From BBC • Jun. 24, 2026
Open title was 15 years ago on rain-softened Congressional, did some of his best work on the fourth hole.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 18, 2026
The U.S. government has awarded a Congressional Gold Medal collectively to the crew of the Indianapolis.
From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler
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.
