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.
Benn is a veteran parliamentarian, who represented Leeds Central from 1999 to 2024 and is now MP for Leeds South.
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026
"Switzerland is a small country that cannot be expanded," SVP parliamentarian Yvan Pahud told AFP.
From Barron's ● Jun. 14, 2026
Budget reconciliation is governed by strict rules, enforced by a strict parliamentarian, requiring that reconciliation items pertain to taxes and spending.
From Slate ● Mar. 24, 2026
Though such an attack is unlikely to destroy its target, it could damage or at least disrupt operations, demonstrating that “American power is not untouchable,” said Hooshang Talé, a former Iranian parliamentarian.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 28, 2026
The meeting was held in secret, and the parliamentarian, who spoke perfect English, having been educated at Oxford, asked for anonymity, which he believed would enable him to better work behind the scenes.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
David Winnick, who represented Walsall North for 38 years, was described as a "dedicated" Parliamentarian by Speaker of the House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle on Thursday.
From BBC ● Mar. 26, 2026
Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough issued her rejections on Thursday, saying the struck sections ran afoul of the Senate’s rules.
From Salon ● Jun. 26, 2025
Daniel Freund, a European Parliamentarian, denounced the gas deal when it was announced.
From New York Times ● Sep. 13, 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
Then he turned to the Parliamentarian and asked what options they now had.
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.
