prorogue
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to discontinue a session of (the British Parliament or a similar body).
- Synonyms:
- suspend
-
to defer or postpone, or to extend past the end of a term, as a lease or other contract.
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of prorogue
First recorded in 1375–1425; from late Middle English proroge, from Latin prōrogāre “to prolong, protract, defer,” literally, “to ask publicly,” equivalent to prō- pro- 1 + rogāre “to ask, propose”
Explanation
Prorogue is a technical way of saying "put off" or "delay." Usually, it describes something a government body does: when a congress or parliament prorogues, it's putting off business for a while. Prorogue comes from the Latin word prorogare meaning "to stretch out." When you stop a meeting and decide to meet again at a later time, this "stretches out" the work being done. Remember that prorogue is close to prolong, which means pretty much the same thing, but without a break.
Vocabulary lists containing prorogue
The Balcony Scene from "Romeo and Juliet"
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This Week In Words: August 31–September 6, 2019
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"The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet," Vocabulary from Act 2
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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:
The governor general has a largely ceremonial job performing functions such as swearing in governments and formally signing legislation, but is also the commander-in-chief of the military and can summon, prorogue or dissolve parliament.
From Reuters ● Jul. 6, 2021
And she used withering language to describe the effect of the court’s ruling on the formal order to prorogue.
From New York Times ● Sep. 24, 2019
These are from my colleague Severin Carrell, who has been covering the legal challenge in Edinburgh to the government’s decision to prorogue parliament for five weeks from next week.
From The Guardian ● Sep. 3, 2019
On Wednesday, Johnson asked Queen Elizabeth II to suspend — or prorogue, to use the technical term — Parliament.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 31, 2019
Lord Dalhousie was satisfied that no benefit to the public could be expected from a continuance of the session, and had come to prorogue the parliament.
From The Rise of Canada, from Barbarism to Wealth and Civilisation Volume 1 by Charles Roger
While the Liberal Party holds its internal contest, parliament is prorogued until March 24.
From Salon ● Jan. 8, 2025
Canada's parliament has been prorogued - or suspended - until 24 March to allow time for the leadership race.
From BBC ● Jan. 7, 2025
Parliament was in session but was prorogued on Monday through a government notification uploaded on its website.
From Reuters ● Jul. 4, 2023
Parliament was formally suspended, or prorogued, on Thursday in a tradition-steeped ceremony involving ermine-draped members of the House of Lords and an official proclaiming “the queen wills it” in Norman French.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 28, 2022
Meanwhile the Council has not been prorogued, but leave of absence is given to Bishops who can allege urgent reasons up to November 15.
From Letters From Rome on the Council by Johann Joseph Ignaz von D?llinger
One of the many difficulties the justices face is how to reconcile differences between English, Scottish and Northern Ireland laws in the context of similar challenges against the prime minister’s proroguing of parliament.
From The Guardian ● Sep. 16, 2019
The official term for shutting down Parliament is "proroguing".
From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2019
Johnson claimed that proroguing Parliament was just an efficient way to get the government organized regarding its domestic agenda, such as new plans for the National Health Service and strategies for fighting crime.
From The New Yorker ● Aug. 30, 2019
So what exactly does the move, known as proroguing Parliament, actually mean for the government and the critical decision-making in the weeks leading up to the deadline?
From New York Times ● Aug. 28, 2019
He writes, or makes somebody write, “The Holy Father is full of strength and confidence, and has no intention of proroguing the Council, as his enemies say.”
From Letters From Rome on the Council by Johann Joseph Ignaz von D?llinger
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
