An Americanism dating back to 1805–15
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Massie and Gallrein are running in a safely Republican congressional district shaped like a bat, centered around the Cincinnati suburbs south of the Ohio River.
From Slate • May 19, 2026
"It has been my privilege to serve the residents of Texas's 23rd congressional district," his brief letter stated.
From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026
A hotly contested race for Texas’ 15th congressional district has taken a strange turn: One of the candidates keeps showing up at quinceañeras.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026
The congressman, whose Nashville-area congressional district is home to more than 40,000 Muslims — one of the largest Muslim communities in the South.
From Salon • Mar. 12, 2026
In 1844 the same experiment was made with Butler's popularity to carry the state for the Democracy, as had succeeded in his congressional district.
From Graham's Magazine Vol XXXII No. 1 January 1848 by Conrad, Robert Taylor
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.
