senate

[sen-it]

noun

1. an assembly or council of citizens having the highest deliberative functions in a government, especially a legislative assembly of a state or nation.

2. (initial capital letter),  the upper house of the legislature of certain countries, as the United States, France, Italy, Canada, Ireland, Republic of South Africa, Australia, and some Latin American countries.

3. the room or building in which such a group meets.

4. Roman History.,  the supreme council of state, the membership and functions of which varied at different periods.

5. a governing, advisory, or disciplinary body, as in certain universities.

Senate

¹

/ ˈsɛnɪt /

noun

1. the upper chamber of the legislatures of the US, Canada, Australia, and many other countries

2. the legislative council of ancient Rome. Originally the council of the kings, the Senate became the highest legislative, judicial, and religious authority in republican Rome

3. the ruling body of certain free cities in medieval and modern Europe

senate

²

/ ˈsɛnɪt /

noun

1. any legislative or governing body considered to resemble a Senate

2. the main governing body at some colleges and universities

Word History and Origins

Origin of senate¹

1175–1225; Middle English senat < Latin senātus council of elders, equivalent to sen ( ex ) old + -ātus -ate ³

Word History and Origins

Origin of senate¹

C13: from Latin senātus council of the elders, from senex an old man

Example Sentences

An earlier faculty senate report noted the SAT and ACT “add substantially to UC’s ability to predict student success” beyond high school grades.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Proceedings in the senate were halted as she refused to remove the item.

Read more on BBC

“District 29 is a deeply red district that has not been represented in the state senate by a Democrat since the early part of the previous decade.”

Read more on MarketWatch

Michael Selig, the nominee to chair the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, will go before a senate committee for a confirmation hearing on Wednesday.

Read more on Barron's

He would talk on and on, from morning until night, in order to prevent the senate from voting on laws that he did not want to see passed.

Read more on Literature

Related Words

• body 
• chamber 
• house 
• parliament