first reading

American  

noun

Parliamentary Procedure.

1. the reading of a bill when it is first introduced in a legislative body.

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first reading British  

noun

1. the introduction of a bill in a legislative assembly

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Etymology

Origin of first reading

First recorded in 1695–1705

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

first reading

The National Assembly approved the bill at first reading in January but the Senate later amended it to target only the most harmful platforms, prompting concern in Brussels.

From Barron's ● Jul. 12, 2026

Kusti Salm, the chief executive of Estonian startup Frankenburg Technologies, which is also developing cost-effective interceptors, remembers first reading about Iran sending Shaheds to Ukraine in 2022.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 30, 2026

The bill passed its first reading unanimously on 5 February but lawmakers failed to approve it as scheduled last week as they could not agree on how it should be applied.

From BBC ● Feb. 16, 2026

Especially if decades, not just years, have passed between one’s first reading and the next; when the reader can’t help but wonder: Is this even the same book?

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 5, 2026

Mama, too, had given me my first reading voice.

From "Bad Boy" by Walter Dean Myers