parliamentarian

noun

par·​lia·​men·​tar·​i·​an ˌpär-lə-ˌmen-ˈter-ē-ən How to pronounce parliamentarian (audio)
-mən-,
 also  ˌpärl-yə-
1
often capitalized : an adherent of the parliament in opposition to the king during the English Civil War
2
: an expert in the rules and usages of a deliberative assembly (such as a parliament)
3
: a member of a parliament

Examples of parliamentarian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Thomas Balch, a professional parliamentarian and former legislative analyst, used a whiteboard and projector to transform his testimony in Kent County Circuit Court to something more akin to a college lecture. Detroit Free Press, 22 Feb. 2024 Carroll joined the board of directors later that same year and served in a leadership role until her death, most recently as secretary/parliamentarian. Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Feb. 2024 When the votes are in, the new parliamentarians split into groups, with the biggest electing the prime minister and forming a new government. Keiran Smith, The Christian Science Monitor, 25 Jan. 2024 Spain's first parliamentarian with Down syndrome breaks barrier Mar Galcerán, 45, has become the first person with Down syndrome to serve in a regional parliament in Spain. Harold Maass, The Week Us, theweek, 12 Jan. 2024 Opposition parliamentarians regularly pile up chairs, use flares, start small fires, and even physically grab microphones when their Socialist counterparts take the floor. Llazar Semini, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Dec. 2023 What to know about Egypt’s election, expected to hand Sisi a third term Sisi’s only serious opponent, former parliamentarian Ahmed Tantawy, was unable to get on the ballot after supporters were blocked from endorsing him. Claire Parker, Washington Post, 18 Dec. 2023 The Io Capitano screening, however, was the direct initiative of European parliamentarians, including Italian MEPs Pietro Bartolo, Massimiliano Smeriglio and Brando Benifei. Boris Sollazzo, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Nov. 2023 Responding to Musk’s frustration, Swedish parliamentarian Annika Strandhäll corrected the centibillionaire. Bychristiaan Hetzner, Fortune Europe, 24 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'parliamentarian.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

parliament + -arian

First Known Use

1642, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of parliamentarian was in 1642

Dictionary Entries Near parliamentarian

Cite this Entry

“Parliamentarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parliamentarian. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

parliamentarian

noun
par·​lia·​men·​tar·​i·​an ˌpär-lə-ˌmen-ˈter-ē-ən How to pronounce parliamentarian (audio)
-mən-,
 also  ˌpärl-yə-
: an expert in parliamentary procedure

Legal Definition

parliamentarian

noun
par·​lia·​men·​tar·​i·​an ˌpär-lə-ˌmen-ˈtar-ē-ən, ˌpärl-yə-, -mən- How to pronounce parliamentarian (audio)
1
: an expert in the rules and usages of a parliament or other deliberative assembly
specifically, often capitalized : an officer of a legislative body acting as adviser on matters of procedure

Note: The parliamentarian of the U.S. House of Representatives is appointed by the Speaker of the House. The Secretary of the Senate appoints the Senate's parliamentarian with approval of the majority leader.

2
: a member of a parliament
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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