parliamentarian

noun

par·​lia·​men·​tar·​i·​an ˌpär-lə-ˌmen-ˈter-ē-ən 

-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

Two hours later, after parliamentarians rushed to the country’s National Assembly building and voted against the declaration, martial law was revoked. —Cressida Leyshon, The New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2024

Such sponsors are parliamentarians across Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Canada who advocate for the release of individual political prisoners in Iran. —Rosa Rahimi, CNN, 2 Dec. 2024

In the House, parliamentary inquiries and points of order will now be handled privately through party leaders in coordination with the House parliamentarian. —Vivian Jones, The Tennessean, 10 Jan. 2024

The Senate parliamentarian must also sign off on the package, confirming that the provisions have direct budgetary consequences, if an item is challenged. —Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 3 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

parliament + -arian

First Known Use

1642, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

parliamentarian

noun

par·​lia·​men·​tar·​i·​an ˌpär-lə-ˌmen-ˈter-ē-ən 

-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- 

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