senate
noun
an assembly or council of citizens having the highest deliberative functions in a government, especially a legislative assembly of a state or nation.
senate
American
[sen-it]
/ ˈsɛn ɪt /
noun
-
senates
plural
-
an assembly or council of citizens having the highest deliberative functions in a government, especially a legislative assembly of a state or nation.
-
(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.
-
the room or building in which such a group meets.
-
Roman History. the supreme council of state, the membership and functions of which varied at different periods.
-
a governing, advisory, or disciplinary body, as in certain universities.
Senate
1
British
/ ˈsɛnɪt /
noun
-
the upper chamber of the legislatures of the US, Canada, Australia, and many other countries
-
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
-
the ruling body of certain free cities in medieval and modern Europe
senate
2
British
/ ˈsɛnɪt /
noun
-
any legislative or governing body considered to resemble a Senate
-
the main governing body at some colleges and universities
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of senate
1175–1225; Middle English senat < Latin senātus council of elders, equivalent to sen ( ex ) old + -ātus -ate 3
Explanation
When a government is split into two houses, or assemblies, one of them — the "upper house" — is called a senate. The main job of most senates is to take a second look at legislation after it's been passed by the lower house. The idea of a senate as a legislative assembly goes back to the founding of Rome, around 750 B.C.E., with the word taken from the Latin senatus, meaning "highest council." That word, then, is thought to come from senex, meaning "old man," in this case probably meant as a form of respect for wisdom. The word later grew to include national government, and the United States took the word in 1775 to refer to the upper level of the legislature. Today, you can get elected to a senate even if you're not an old man.
Vocabulary lists containing senate
Ancient Rome - Introductory
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Canada - Middle School and High School
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South Asia - Introductory
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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:
But she has been helped by controversy on the other side of the aisle involving Graham Platner, who was ultimately replaced as the Democratic nominee by Jackson, a former president of the Maine state senate.
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026
Incumbent Sara Hernandez is stepping down and running for state senate.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 25, 2026
The elections were the first to be held under Kazakhstan's new constitution, which abolished the senate in favour of a new unicameral legislature and reset term limits that would have otherwise been imposed on Tokayev.
From Barron's ● Aug. 24, 2026
“I said as a senate candidate that I’d be focused on the down ballot and my plan to do that hasn’t changed.”
From Salon ● Jun. 25, 2026
Barack had lost his mother at the very genesis of his political career, two months after announcing his run for state senate.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
All 435 House seats and 35 of the 100 Senate seats are at stake, along with governorships in 36 states.
From Barron's ● Nov. 3, 2026
Plus, inside the final days of Darline Graham’s reluctant Senate run, and two owners claim to have the same legendary Porsche.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
He served in the state House and Senate before becoming the chief legal officer in Texas.
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026
But of 22 candidates vying for the most hotly contested Senate seats this year, just five are female.
From Slate ● Nov. 2, 2026
If he was going to even think about running for president, I hoped he’d take the prudent path, preparing slowly, biding his time in the Senate, and waiting until the girls were older—until 2016, maybe.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
Since news of the deal broke, he said he has met with the system chancellors, provosts, program directors and faculty senates about the acquisition.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 31, 2023
State senates range in size from twenty members in Alaska to sixty-seven members in Minnesota.
From Textbooks ● Jul. 28, 2021
The Missouri and North Carolina senates currently are the only chambers offering just audio, which can make it difficult for listeners to recognize the speakers.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 14, 2021
The animosity has spread to the 50 statehouses and the 7,382 people who serve in the houses and senates there.
From Salon ● Jun. 24, 2012
Others import yet nobler arts from France, Teach kings to fiddle, and make senates dance.
From Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 58, Number 358, August 1845 by Various
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