lower house

American  

[loh-er] / ˈloʊ ər /

noun

1. one of two branches of a legislature, generally more representative and with more members than the upper branch.

---

lower house British  

noun

1. Also called: lower chamber.  one of the two houses of a bicameral legislature: usually the larger and more representative house Compare upper house

---

Etymology

Origin of lower house

First recorded in 1570–80

Example Sentences

Last month the party won its first lower house election battle in the seat of Farrer, a large inland agricultural and mining electorate in New South Wales, beating the traditional conservative parties.

From Barron's • Jun. 1, 2026

He was elected to France's lower house of parliament in 2017 and later served as government spokesperson and budget minister.

From Barron's • May 22, 2026

One Nation has never won a federal lower house contest.

From BBC • May 8, 2026

As governor, Rocha has immunity from prosecution, which can be stripped by Mexico’s lower house of Congress.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

In Connecticut, for example, the members of the lower house are distributed among the towns of the state, without regard to their population.

From Government in the United States National, State and Local by Garner, James Wilford