a person who is expert in the formal rules and procedures of deliberative assemblies and other formal organizations.
(sometimes initial capital letter) a member of Parliament.
(initial capital letter) a partisan of the British Parliament in opposition to Charles I.
an expert in parliamentary procedures, etc
(sometimes capital) a Member of Parliament
First recorded in 1605–15; parliament + -arian
A parliamentarian is someone who's very familiar with the rules of a legislative body, often because they're a member of it. In the U.S., a parliamentarian advises lawmakers on complex Senate and House rules. In the 17th century, parliamentarians opposed the monarchy during the English Civil War; in Britain today, a parliamentarian is simply a member of parliament, the U.K. government. United States parliamentarians, experts in the rules of the legislature, are appointed to the House and Senate by the majority party. Their job is to answer any procedural questions and offer nonpartisan advice. Parliamentarian is from parliament, "assembly," and its Latin root, meaning "to speak."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Jane Whorwood was a Royalist spy, who tried twice to free Charles I from Parliamentarian captivity.
From BBC • Nov. 27, 2023
Daniel Freund, a European Parliamentarian, denounced the gas deal when it was announced.
From New York Times • Sep. 13, 2022
Parliamentarian Osama Al Munawer said in a Twitter post after Wednesday's ruling that another amendment would be sought to address "shortcomings in the legislative drafting".
From Reuters • Feb. 16, 2022
Karimi said the Taliban also dissolved the Ministry for Peace and the Ministry of Parliamentarian Affairs.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 26, 2021
The Parliamentarian considered and said, “Since there is no precedent for the treatment of a double apprenticeship, there are no rules as to how it should be dealt with. The proposal is within our guidelines.”
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
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.
