hansard
C2Formal, Official, Academic
Definition
Meaning
The official printed record of debates in the UK Parliament or other Commonwealth parliaments.
A generic term for the official, verbatim transcript of parliamentary proceedings; any similar official record of legislative debate.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Proper noun turned common noun; often capitalized in official use but lowercased in generic contexts. Refers specifically to the published record, not the live debate.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term originates in and is central to UK/Commonwealth political context. In the US, the equivalent is the 'Congressional Record'.
Connotations
In the UK, connotes official authority and historical continuity. In the US, it is a specialized term known primarily in political science or comparative government contexts.
Frequency
High frequency in UK political, journalistic, and academic discourse; very low frequency in general American English.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
Verb + Hansard (consult, read, search, cite, quote)Adjective + Hansard (official, parliamentary, historical, daily)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “It's in Hansard. (Meaning: it's officially and verifiably on the record.)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare, except in government relations or lobbying contexts where tracking parliamentary statements is needed.
Academic
Common in political science, history, law, and parliamentary studies.
Everyday
Very rare; used primarily by those following politics closely or journalists.
Technical
Standard term in parliamentary procedure, legislative drafting, and political journalism.
Examples
By Part of Speech
adjective
British English
- The Hansard record is definitive.
- A Hansard citation was provided.
American English
- The professor asked for a Hansard reference.
- It was a Hansard-style transcript.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The teacher showed the class a page from Hansard.
- Journalists often search Hansard to verify what was said in Parliament.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
HANSARD: 'Hans' (like a man's name) keeps an 'ARD'uous (arduous) record of every word in Parliament.
Conceptual Metaphor
PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE IS A PRINTED TEXT; ACCOUNTABILITY IS A PERMANENT RECORD.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating as 'стенограмма' (stenogram), which implies a raw stenographic record. 'Хэнсард' is often used as a direct loanword or translated as 'официальный отчёт парламентских дебатов'.
Common Mistakes
- Using it as a verb (e.g., 'The speech was hansarded.' – incorrect).
- Confusing it with the live broadcast or unofficial summary.
- Not capitalizing when referring to the specific UK publication.
Practice
Quiz
What is 'Hansard' primarily?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
When referring specifically to the official UK publication, it is often capitalized. In generic use (e.g., 'the australian hansard'), it is frequently lowercased.
No, the correct term for the US is the 'Congressional Record'. Using 'Hansard' would be incorrect and confusing in an American context.
In the UK, a draft version (the 'uncorrected transcript') is usually available online a few hours after the debate. The final, corrected version is published the following morning.
Almost everything is included, but members can request minor corrections to the transcript. Interjections that are not heard by the official reporters may be omitted.