parliamentary

[pahr-luh-men-tuh-ree, -tree, pahrl-yuh-]

adjective

1. of or relating to a parliament or any of its members.

2. enacted or established by a parliament.

3. having a parliament.

4. of the nature of a parliament.

5. in accordance with the formal rules governing the methods of procedure, discussion, and debate in deliberative bodies and organized assemblies.

   parliamentary order.

parliamentary

/ -trɪ, ˌpɑːləˈmɛntərɪ /

adjective

1. of or characteristic of a parliament or Parliament

2. proceeding from a parliament or Parliament

   a parliamentary decree

3. conforming to or derived from the procedures of a parliament or Parliament

   parliamentary conduct

4. having a parliament or Parliament

5. of or relating to Parliament or its supporters during the English Civil War

Other Word Forms

• parliamentarily adverb
• antiparliamentary adjective
• interparliamentary adjective
• nonparliamentary adjective
• preparliamentary adjective
• superparliamentary adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of parliamentary¹

First recorded in 1610–20; parliament + -ary

Example Sentences

The case sent shock waves through Britain’s parliament, as Cash was a parliamentary researcher and worked for the China Research Group, which lobbies lawmakers for a more hawkish approach to Beijing.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

A German parliamentary inquiry last year said that a social, environmental and human-rights impact assessment would precede any export credit or investment guarantees for the project.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Macron faced immediate demands to dissolve the National Assembly and call parliamentary elections from opponents who say the lower house is too fractured to produce a stable government.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Instead, he is wielding the unspoken threat of dissolving parliament and calling snap parliamentary elections—yet again—to coerce lawmakers that he believes are largely reluctant to face voters.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Macron had been wielding the unspoken threat of dissolving the National Assembly and holding parliamentary elections after his latest prime minister, Sébastien Lecornu, abruptly resigned Monday amid bickering over his cabinet choices.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• congressional 
• senatorial