House of Representatives

American  

noun

1. the lower legislative branch in many national and state bicameral governing bodies, as in the United States, Mexico, and Japan. H.R., HR

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House of Representatives British  

noun

1. (in the US) the lower chamber of Congress

2. (in Australia) the lower chamber of Parliament

3. the sole chamber of New Zealand's Parliament: formerly the lower chamber

4. (in the US) the lower chamber in many state legislatures

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House of Representatives Cultural  

1. The lower house of the United States Congress. With 435 popularly elected officials, the House (as it is often called) is the most representative body in the federal government. House seats are apportioned (see apportionment) relative to each state's population. Because of its larger size, the House tends to maintain a closer link to local constituent concerns than the Senate, though both houses of Congress participate in virtually all aspects of legislation and policymaking. The Speaker of the House is one of the most influential officials in Washington, D.C., and is second in succession to the presidency, after the vice president.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

House of Representatives

He became speaker of the Florida House of Representatives at 34, before being elected to the United States Senate in 2010.

From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026

But any extension is unlikely before September because the House of Representatives has already left Washington for its summer recess.

From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026

Either way, the House of Representatives leaves town on Thursday and the two chambers of Congress will not be jointly back in session until September.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

In the 1960s, the Texas House of Representatives asked the University of Texas to study the feasibility of creating a Texas stock exchange.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026

It was up to the House of Representatives to decide the issue.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling

Related Words

• body
• chamber
• house
• parliament