parliamentary
Americanadjective
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of or relating to a parliament or any of its members.
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enacted or established by a parliament.
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having a parliament.
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of the nature of a parliament.
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in accordance with the formal rules governing the methods of procedure, discussion, and debate in deliberative bodies and organized assemblies.
parliamentary order.
adjective
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of or characteristic of a parliament or Parliament
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proceeding from a parliament or Parliament
a parliamentary decree
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conforming to or derived from the procedures of a parliament or Parliament
parliamentary conduct
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having a parliament or Parliament
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of or relating to Parliament or its supporters during the English Civil War
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of parliamentary
First recorded in 1610–20; parliament + -ary
Explanation
The adjective parliamentary refers to anything related to the formal rules, procedures, or discussions of a governing body that makes laws. The word parliamentary traces back to the French word parlement, meaning "talk" or "discussion." Many democratic countries, including Canada and France, have primary governing bodies called parliaments, groups of officials who deliberate and vote on laws. Anything related to a parliament can be referred to as parliamentary — e.g., parliamentary rules and procedures. The principal lawmaking body of the U.S. is not called a parliament, but the U.S. Congress also has parliamentary procedures — rules that govern decision-making and debate.
Vocabulary lists containing parliamentary
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The current cap covers Glasgow and West Scotland as well as the Highlands and Islands, with the government planning to expand it to the whole country by the end of the parliamentary term in 2031.
From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026
It should be available everywhere in Scotland by the end of this parliamentary term, by which time he said the Scottish government would, through franchising and regulation, have taken the bus network under public control.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
French government bonds remain under scrutiny due to concerns that France might struggle to get parliamentary approval for its budget proposal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
French government bonds will remain under scrutiny due to concerns that France might struggle to get parliamentary approval for its recent budget proposal, sending the country’s 10-year sovereign bond yields to their highest since 2002.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
This was an unparalleled situation in the country’s history: in the South African parliamentary system, the leader of the majority party becomes the head of state.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
