senatorial courtesy

noun

: a custom of the U.S. Senate of refusing to confirm a presidential appointment of an official in or from a state when the appointment is opposed by the senators or senior senator of the president's party from that state

Examples of senatorial courtesy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The two slip rule, critically, remained in effect as long as Democrats controlled the Senate even once Barack Obama took over as president — with Democrats choosing to uphold a senatorial courtesy over partisan advantage. Matthew Yglesias, Vox, 3 July 2018 In its defense, the blue slip is a bow in the direction of both bipartisanship and senatorial courtesy. Jonathan S. Tobin, National Review, 11 Sep. 2017

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

Word History

First Known Use

1884, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of senatorial courtesy was in 1884

Dictionary Entries Near senatorial courtesy

Cite this Entry

“Senatorial courtesy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/senatorial%20courtesy. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

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