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:
Lord Pannick previously acted for those who brought a case against Mr Johnson when he tried to prorogue Parliament in 2019.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2022
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
It is just looking at whether the decision to prorogue was justified.
From The Guardian ● Sep. 19, 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 Emperor may prorogue, adjourn, or dissolve, the chamber of representatives.
From Memoirs of the Private Life, Return, and Reign of Napoleon in 1815, Vol. II by Pierre Alexandre Édouard, baron Fleury de Chaboulon
While the Liberal Party holds its internal contest, parliament is prorogued until March 24.
From Salon ● Jan. 8, 2025
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
The prime minister said he wanted to outline his government's policies in a Queen's Speech on 14 October 2019, and to do that, Parliament would have to be prorogued and a new session started.
From BBC ● May 20, 2021
On December 19 it was prorogued, and on June 15, 1767, was suspended by act of parliament.
From The Colonization of North America 1492-1783 by Herbert Eugene Bolton
The process, known as proroguing, usually passes without much notice, except for the pompous rituals and antiquarian costumes that accompany it.
From New York Times ● Sep. 10, 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
This is a good quick backgrounder from the House of Commons library on how exactly proroguing parliament works.
From The Guardian ● Aug. 28, 2019
The official term for shutting down Parliament is "proroguing" and it normally happens once a year for a short period - usually in April or May.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2019
In the speech proroguing the legislature, Sir Archibald Campbell stated that he had withheld his assent from this bill because a suspending clause had not been appended to it.
From Wilmot and Tilley by James Hannay
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