parliamentary system

Cultural

A system of government in which the power to make and execute laws is held by a parliament. Britain has a parliamentary system of government, one of the oldest in the world. The United States does not; its legislature, the Congress, passes the laws, and a separate part of government, the executive branch, carries them out.

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.

He disappointed Francoists by supporting a parliamentary system within a constitutional monarchy.

From Barron's • Nov. 8, 2025

Due to a quirk of the parliamentary system, private members' bills are normally debated on Fridays - a day when MPs are normally in their constituencies.

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2025

Hitler argued that the economic interests of capitalism were best served by the destruction of Germany's parliamentary system: "Private enterprise cannot be maintained in the age of democracy."

From Salon • Apr. 5, 2025

But just as the country reverts to being more of a parliamentary system, the Assembly itself has proved incapable of action.

From BBC • Dec. 4, 2024

This was an unparalleled situation in the country’s history: in the South African parliamentary system, the leader of the majority party becomes the head of state.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023