a person who is expert in the formal rules and procedures of deliberative assemblies and other formal organizations.
(sometimes initial capital letter) a member of Parliament.
(initial capital letter) a partisan of the British Parliament in opposition to Charles I.
an expert in parliamentary procedures, etc
(sometimes capital) a Member of Parliament
First recorded in 1605–15; parliament + -arian
A parliamentarian is someone who's very familiar with the rules of a legislative body, often because they're a member of it. In the U.S., a parliamentarian advises lawmakers on complex Senate and House rules. In the 17th century, parliamentarians opposed the monarchy during the English Civil War; in Britain today, a parliamentarian is simply a member of parliament, the U.K. government. United States parliamentarians, experts in the rules of the legislature, are appointed to the House and Senate by the majority party. Their job is to answer any procedural questions and offer nonpartisan advice. Parliamentarian is from parliament, "assembly," and its Latin root, meaning "to speak."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Daniel Freund, a European Parliamentarian, denounced the gas deal when it was announced.
From New York Times • Sep. 13, 2022
Cromwell helped the Parliamentarian forces defeat Charles I during the Civil War, which resulted in the monarch being tried and beheaded, and he went on to become Lord Protector.
From BBC • May 8, 2022
Parliamentarian Kanimozhi Karunanidhi said that India had only a fraction of the solar energy needed to meet what had been promised at Glasgow.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 3, 2022
Parliamentarian Osama Al Munawer said in a Twitter post after Wednesday's ruling that another amendment would be sought to address "shortcomings in the legislative drafting".
From Reuters • Feb. 16, 2022
“I have not, Your Excellency. I was fully prepared to glean him. It was your own Parliamentarian who stopped me. It never occurred to me that hitting Rowan would grant him immunity.”
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
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.
