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senate

American  
[sen-it] / ˈsɛn ɪt /

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 British  
/ 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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
senate 2 British  
/ ˈsɛnɪt /

noun

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

  2. the main governing body at some colleges and universities

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of senate

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

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.

In recent years the leader of the senate was expected to act as president but only until a fresh election was arranged.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

Last week, a Tennessee senate committee backed a bill to appropriate $50 million to a dedicated precious-metals fund.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

The bill still needs to pass the state senate and be approved by Gov. Bob Ferguson to become law.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 11, 2026

It still needs senate approval to become law.

From Barron's • Feb. 5, 2026

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.

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.