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
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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

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 24 Nov. 2024.

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