first reading

American  

noun

Parliamentary Procedure.

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

---

first reading British  

noun

1. the introduction of a bill in a legislative assembly

---

Etymology

Origin of first reading

First recorded in 1695–1705

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

first reading

About 10 years after first reading about Manson, she made a discovery that chilled her to her core: She was not only related to Manson — she was his granddaughter.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026

A closely watched home price index will release its first reading for 2026 on Tuesday.

From Barron's ● Mar. 30, 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

It was wonderful to be able to read and write again, and I didn’t mind it at all that my first reading and writing in fifteen days was being done over final examinations.

From "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok