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.
The housing bill's quiet enactment would mark an unusual conclusion to months of cross-party negotiations, as a significant congressional accomplishment that the president declined to celebrate, but chose not to stop.
From Barron's • Jul. 10, 2026
A Pentagon spokesperson declined to answer questions from ProPublica, noting: “As with all congressional correspondence, the Department will respond directly to the authors.”
From Salon • Jul. 7, 2026
The Treasury secretary is set to meet with a U.S. congressional delegation at a dinner on Tuesday night.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 7, 2026
Platner is set to take on the incumbent senator, Republican Susan Collins, who has beaten back political challenges for three decades, in November's congressional elections.
From BBC • Jul. 7, 2026
Several of his claims, including that he’d handed Booth’s diary to Edwin Stanton, led to a congressional investigation into Stanton’s role in the disappearance of the diary.
From "Lincoln's Last Days: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever" by Bill O'Reilly
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.
