parliament
B1Formal, political, academic, journalistic
Definition
Meaning
The supreme legislative body of a country, typically composed of elected representatives.
1. A formal conference or assembly for the discussion of public affairs. 2. A legislative body in other contexts, such as the European Parliament. 3. The period during which such a body meets between elections.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The term is often capitalised when referring to a specific national institution (e.g., the UK Parliament). It can be used as a collective noun, taking a singular verb (Parliament decides) but can also refer to its members collectively.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In the UK, 'Parliament' specifically refers to the sovereign legislative body (House of Commons and House of Lords). In the US, the term is not used for its own legislature (Congress), but is used for foreign legislatures and in historical/formal contexts.
Connotations
In the UK, it carries strong historical and constitutional weight. In the US, it is associated with foreign, often Westminster-style, systems.
Frequency
Much more frequent in UK English. In US English, 'Congress' is the default term for the national legislature.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
Parliament + verb (e.g., Parliament voted)in Parliamentbefore Parliamentthrough Parliamentan Act of Parliamenta Member of ParliamentVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “A hung parliament”
- “To be in the belly of the parliament (archaic)”
- “Parliamentary language (polite, formal speech)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare, except in contexts discussing government policy or regulation (e.g., 'The new bill before Parliament will affect import tariffs').
Academic
Common in political science, history, and law to discuss systems of government, legislation, and political theory.
Everyday
Used in news reports and discussions about politics and current affairs.
Technical
Used in legal and constitutional contexts to refer to specific acts, procedures, and sessions.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The bill was parliamented through its final stages.
- They attempted to parliament the measure into law.
American English
- The proposal was parliamented in a special session.
- To parliament a new act requires broad support.
adverb
British English
- The motion was passed parliamentarily.
- He argued his case parliamentarily.
American English
- The process proceeded parliamentarily.
- They acted parliamentarily to approve the treaty.
adjective
British English
- The parliamentary committee published its report.
- He has a long parliamentary career.
American English
- The debate followed strict parliamentary procedure.
- She studied parliamentary systems in Europe.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The parliament is in London.
- They vote for parliament every five years.
- The new law was debated in parliament for weeks.
- She is a member of parliament for our area.
- The government's proposal was rejected by a narrow margin in parliament.
- A hung parliament can lead to a coalition government.
- The prime minister faced a vote of no confidence in a fractious parliament.
- The bill's passage through parliament was hampered by filibustering in the upper house.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'We need to PARLEY (discuss) and make a MENTal decision in PARLIAMENT.'
Conceptual Metaphor
Parliament is a building/container (enter parliament, sit in parliament). Parliament is a person/body (parliament decided, parliament speaks).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'парламент' (direct cognate, correct).
- Do not use 'parliament' to mean 'government' as in 'правительство'. The government is the executive, parliament is the legislative branch.
- Avoid using 'parliament' for local councils or Dumas; use 'city council' or 'regional assembly'.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'The parliament are debating' (usually treated as singular: 'The parliament is debating').
- Incorrect: 'He works in the parliament' (more idiomatic: 'He works in Parliament' or '...in the parliament building').
- Spelling: Confusing 'parliament' with 'parliment' or 'parlement'.
Practice
Quiz
In the UK political system, what is the primary function of Parliament?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is capitalised when referring to a specific institution (e.g., the UK Parliament, the Scottish Parliament). It is lower case when used generically (e.g., 'a bicameral parliament').
Parliament is the legislative body that makes laws. The Government is the executive body, formed by the party with a majority in Parliament, which proposes laws and runs the country's administration.
It is extremely rare and not standard in modern usage. The standard verb form is related to the adjective 'parliamentary' (e.g., 'to parliamentary a bill' is not correct; use 'to debate a bill in parliament').
A hung parliament occurs when no single political party has an absolute majority of seats in the legislature. This often leads to coalition governments or minority governments.
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