select committee

American  

noun

1. a committee, as of a legislative body, that is formed to examine and report on a specific bill or issue.

---

select committee British  

noun

1. (in Britain) a small committee composed of members of parliament, set up by either House of Parliament to investigate and report back on a specified matter of interest

---

Etymology

Origin of select committee

An Americanism dating back to 1780–90

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

select committee

Campaigners are calling for "commonhold now" and a select committee report released in May called for the government to "go further and faster".

From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026

Wes Streeting, who resigned as health secretary in May, wants anyone who refused to give evidence to Ockenden's inquiry to appear before MPs on the health and social care select committee.

From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026

He has served as shadow foreign secretary and chairman of the Brexit select committee.

From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026

Ettinghausen said social media firm Meta, which owns Facebook, was "facilitating the law being broken" - a point she raised at a UK Parliament select committee in March.

From BBC ● Jun. 7, 2026

Mr. Calhoun himself moved the reference of this part of the President's message to a select committee in the Senate.

From The Middle Period 1817-1858 by John William Burgess

Related Words

• panel