upper house

American  

noun

1. one of two branches of a legislature generally smaller and less representative than the lower branch, as the Senate of the U.S. Congress.

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upper house British  

noun

1. Also called: upper chamber. (often capitals) one of the two houses of a bicameral legislature Compare lower house

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Etymology

Origin of upper house

First recorded in 1525–35

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

upper house

Former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro won a seat in the upper house of Congress.

From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026

The upper house of Swiss parliament backed a proposal to ease new capital demands on the group, while rejecting a stricter requirement in a bill put forward by the country’s government.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

The upper house said 42% of Medi-Cal enrollees are full-time workers who are not enrolled in their company’s healthcare plan because their wages are low enough to qualify for state-subsidized healthcare.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 3, 2026

Lord Bethell, a Conservative health minister during the Covid-19 pandemic, has also announced his intention to leave the upper house.

From BBC ● Mar. 13, 2026

Thus the commons sat at Acton Burnell in the eleventh of Edward I., while the upper house was at Shrewsbury.

From View of the State of Europe during the Middle Ages, Vol. 3 by Henry Hallam

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