prorogue
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to discontinue a session of (the British Parliament or a similar body).
- Synonyms:
- suspend
-
to defer or postpone, or to extend past the end of a term, as a lease or other contract.
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of prorogue
First recorded in 1375–1425; from late Middle English proroge, from Latin prōrogāre “to prolong, protract, defer,” literally, “to ask publicly,” equivalent to prō- pro- 1 + rogāre “to ask, propose”
Explanation
Prorogue is a technical way of saying "put off" or "delay." Usually, it describes something a government body does: when a congress or parliament prorogues, it's putting off business for a while. Prorogue comes from the Latin word prorogare meaning "to stretch out." When you stop a meeting and decide to meet again at a later time, this "stretches out" the work being done. Remember that prorogue is close to prolong, which means pretty much the same thing, but without a break.
Vocabulary lists containing prorogue
The Balcony Scene from "Romeo and Juliet"
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This Week In Words: August 31–September 6, 2019
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"The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet," Vocabulary from Act 2
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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.
See Examples For:
In all likelihood, you’ll be praying that they prorogue the next parliament.
From The Guardian ● Dec. 7, 2019
The Supreme Court made clear it wasn't ruling on Brexit - but simply deciding if the prime minister could lawfully "prorogue" Parliament - a fancy word for suspending it.
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2019
And she used withering language to describe the effect of the court’s ruling on the formal order to prorogue.
From New York Times ● Sep. 24, 2019
Johnson announced on Aug. 28 that he had asked Queen Elizabeth to prorogue, or suspend, parliament for five weeks from last week until Oct.
From Reuters ● Sep. 16, 2019
The extraordinary anxiety in those whom you see, to get you to prorogue, is, in my opinion, a very strong proof of their being actuated by that sort of wish.
From Memoirs of the Court and Cabinets of George the Third From the Original Family Documents, Volume 2 by Buckingham and Chandos, Richard Plantagenet Temple Nugent Brydges Chandos Grenville, Duke of
While the Liberal Party holds its internal contest, parliament is prorogued until March 24.
From Salon ● Jan. 8, 2025
As we just mentioned, the King prorogued Parliament for the first time during his reign at the end of the day on Friday.
From BBC ● May 25, 2024
After a flurry of last-minute legislation, Parliament will be prorogued, or formally suspended, in a ceremony featuring hat-doffing, lords in ermine-trimmed robes and commands in Norman French.
From Seattle Times ● May 24, 2024
Parliament was in session but was prorogued on Monday through a government notification uploaded on its website.
From Reuters ● Jul. 4, 2023
In 1873 the Parliament met at the end of May, and after the session had lasted two months the Houses were prorogued for the purpose of a dissolution.
From Our First Half-Century: A Review of Queensland Progress Based Upon Official Information by Queensland
The official term for shutting down Parliament is "proroguing".
From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2019
Johnson claimed that proroguing Parliament was just an efficient way to get the government organized regarding its domestic agenda, such as new plans for the National Health Service and strategies for fighting crime.
From The New Yorker ● Aug. 30, 2019
So what exactly does the move, known as proroguing Parliament, actually mean for the government and the critical decision-making in the weeks leading up to the deadline?
From New York Times ● Aug. 28, 2019
That would mean the bill could not be reintroduced without the government proroguing parliament.
From The Guardian ● Apr. 29, 2019
The ministry in desperation sought to prevent immediate action by calling Vasconcellos back to power and proroguing the session.
From The South American Republics Part I of II by Thomas C. Dawson
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