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standing committee

American  

noun

  1. a permanent committee, as of a legislature, society, etc., intended to consider all matters pertaining to a designated subject.

  2. (initial capital letters) the highest policymaking body of the Chinese Communist Party, composed of top party leaders from the Politburo.


standing committee British  

noun

  1. a permanent committee appointed to deal with a specified subject

"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 standing committee

First recorded in 1900–05

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:

Real influence lies within a smaller standing committee elected from congress delegates, which meets every couple of months.

From BBC Mar. 3, 2026

The bills will be sent to a parliamentary standing committee for deliberations before passage.

From Reuters Aug. 11, 2023

Zhao, 65, is expected to serve as the head of the National People’s Congress and its standing committee which handles most actual legislative work.

From Seattle Times Mar. 8, 2023

The parliament on Sunday also proposed amendments to a lawmaking procedure during an emergency that would allow its decision-making standing committee to skip multiple rounds of discussion before passing legislation.

From Washington Post Mar. 5, 2023

A standing committee of the workmen, with one chairman, was to investigate and settle such matters.

From Hope Mills or, Between Friend and Sweetheart by Douglas, Amanda Minnie

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