filibuster
Low (C1+)Formal, political, legal
Definition
Meaning
The act of obstructing progress in a legislative assembly, especially by making prolonged speeches.
A deliberate delaying tactic, often using long speeches, to prevent a vote or decision; by extension, any tactic intended to delay proceedings significantly.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily used in political contexts; often has a negative connotation of obstructionism. Can be used as both a noun and a verb.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
While understood in UK political contexts, it is most frequently associated with US politics, specifically the US Senate. The UK Parliament has different procedural rules, making true filibusters less common.
Connotations
In the US, often viewed as a dramatic, controversial political tool. In the UK, more associated with historical or rare occurrences.
Frequency
Much more common in American English news media.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
to filibuster (a bill)to filibuster against (something)to be filibusteredto talk a bill to deathVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “talk a bill to death”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare; might be used metaphorically for obstruction in meetings.
Academic
Used in political science and law to discuss legislative procedures.
Everyday
Very rare; mostly appears in news about politics.
Technical
Specific term in parliamentary procedure and US constitutional law.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The backbench MP threatened to filibuster the bill through the night.
- They successfully filibustered, forcing the debate to adjourn.
American English
- The senator filibustered for 12 hours to block the nomination.
- The minority party is expected to filibuster the spending bill.
adverb
British English
- He spoke filibuster-style, reading from the phone book.
- The debate proceeded filibuster-slowly.
American English
- They acted filibuster-like, dragging out the process for weeks.
adjective
British English
- A filibuster amendment was tabled to delay the vote.
- The speaker invoked a rarely used filibuster rule.
American English
- The filibuster threat is a powerful tool in the Senate.
- A change to the filibuster precedent could alter the political landscape.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The politician spoke for a very long time to stop the new law.
- The long speech was a kind of filibuster.
- The opposition used a filibuster to delay the vote on the controversial bill.
- A successful filibuster requires considerable stamina from the speaker.
- To break the filibuster, the majority will need to secure a three-fifths supermajority for cloture.
- The senator's 21-hour filibuster became a landmark moment in the civil rights debate.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a FILI (like a file, something long) that BUSTs (breaks/disrupts) the meeting.
Conceptual Metaphor
LEGISLATIVE PROCESS IS A JOURNEY (the filibuster is an obstacle/roadblock).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Не путать с 'финансистом' (finansist) или 'пиратом'. В русском полит. контексте ближайший эквивалент — 'обструкция'.
Common Mistakes
- Using it for any long speech (it must be *procedurally obstructive*).
- Pronouncing it with a long 'i' (/faɪl/).
- Using it as a synonym for 'debate'.
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the most accurate definition of a filibuster?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It originates from the Dutch 'vrijbuiter' (freebooter/pirate), via Spanish 'filibustero'. The political sense developed in 19th-century America, metaphorically linking legislative obstruction to piracy.
It is much harder due to procedural rules like the 'guillotine' (a time limit on debates). Prolonged speeches can happen but are not the systematic tool they are in the US Senate.
Cloture is the formal US Senate procedure to end a filibuster, requiring a three-fifths majority vote (usually 60 out of 100 senators).
Often, but not exclusively. Proponents view it as protecting minority rights and ensuring thorough debate. Critics see it as undemocratic obstruction.
Explore