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.
Among them was Democratic congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier, a close Mamdani ally.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
Greene-Placentia said she did not see a doctor following the alleged attack in congressional district eight and did not receive a sexual assault examination.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
Last month, a bipartisan group of congressional leaders officially introduced the Motion Picture, Television and Entertainment Revitalization Act.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
Pew found 29 percent of voters spontaneously named an economic concern when asked what they most wanted congressional candidates to discuss -- more than three times any other category.
From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026
“This isn’t a large amount of power for the product one is getting,” he would assure his rapt congressional audience.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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.
