parliamentary
Americanadjective
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of or relating to a parliament or any of its members.
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enacted or established by a parliament.
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having a parliament.
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of the nature of a parliament.
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in accordance with the formal rules governing the methods of procedure, discussion, and debate in deliberative bodies and organized assemblies.
parliamentary order.
adjective
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of or characteristic of a parliament or Parliament
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proceeding from a parliament or Parliament
a parliamentary decree
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conforming to or derived from the procedures of a parliament or Parliament
parliamentary conduct
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having a parliament or Parliament
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of or relating to Parliament or its supporters during the English Civil War
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of parliamentary
First recorded in 1610–20; parliament + -ary
Explanation
The adjective parliamentary refers to anything related to the formal rules, procedures, or discussions of a governing body that makes laws. The word parliamentary traces back to the French word parlement, meaning "talk" or "discussion." Many democratic countries, including Canada and France, have primary governing bodies called parliaments, groups of officials who deliberate and vote on laws. Anything related to a parliament can be referred to as parliamentary — e.g., parliamentary rules and procedures. The principal lawmaking body of the U.S. is not called a parliament, but the U.S. Congress also has parliamentary procedures — rules that govern decision-making and debate.
Vocabulary lists containing parliamentary
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.
A U.K. parliamentary inquiry concluded that the government mis-sold loans to students for over a decade by understating their eventual costs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
Hours earlier, Mundubile, 55, had claimed a first-round win in the presidential election and said his party had also secured a parliamentary majority.
From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026
No 10: Full Confidence by Benjamin Brewis sees players take on the role of prime minister, making decisions through a wave of parliamentary scenarios and trying to remain in power for as long as possible.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
Harvey has previously stood in four parliamentary elections, including against prime ministers, and two London mayoral elections.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
I learned about Margaret Thatcher and the Thirty-Eighth Parallel and the Cultural Revolution; I learned about parliamentary politics and electoral systems around the world.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
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.
