joint session

American  

noun

1. a joint meeting, as of both houses of a bicameral legislature.

   The president addressed a joint session of Congress on the crisis in Central America.

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Etymology

Origin of joint session

An Americanism dating back to 1860–65

Example Sentences

Truman offered to address a joint session of Congress to receive a formal resolution of support.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026

“Prices are plummeting downward,” the president told the American public and a joint session of Congress during his marathon State of the Union address.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 3, 2026

President Donald Trump is scheduled to deliver the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday at 9 p.m.

From Barron's • Feb. 24, 2026

In his address to a joint session of Congress on March 4, Trump complained that countries across the globe place tariffs on U.S.-made goods.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2025

We addressed a joint session of Congress, a rare occasion in the Capitol, attended by members of the Senate, the House of Representatives, the Supreme Court, and the President’s Cabinet.

From "Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story" by Michael Collins