first reading

American  

noun

Parliamentary Procedure.

1. the reading of a bill when it is first introduced in a legislative body.

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first reading British  

noun

1. the introduction of a bill in a legislative assembly

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Etymology

Origin of first reading

First recorded in 1695–1705

Example Sentences

Irving is the writer who made me want to be a writer, and I have read and cherished his books since first reading this masterpiece as a young man.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 8, 2026

I devoured it on first reading but I just can’t surrender it to the shelf yet.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025

In May, France's lower house of parliament approved a right-to-die bill in a first reading.

From Barron's • Nov. 23, 2025

"Once they heard the first reading in rehearsal," recalled Scales, "they were sold on the idea."

From BBC • Oct. 28, 2025

In this way, she found that even the words that had seemed impossible to decipher on first reading began to make sense as she discovered their place in the story.

From "Lyddie" by Katherine Paterson