parliament
Pluralparliaments
- 1The lawmaking assembly of a government, whose elected or appointed members debate issues, pass and repeal laws, and authorize public spending.
In a democracy, parliament holds the power to make and repeal laws.
The finance minister asked parliament to approve next year's spending.
UsageOften used with no article: run or stand for parliament, sit in parliament, ask parliament for money.
Similarlegislature, assembly
- 2A legislature's members as assembled for one particular term or purpose, often identified by an ordinal number or a descriptive name.
The twelfth parliament was dissolved early after the government lost a confidence vote.
Historians often contrast the Short Parliament with the Long Parliament that followed it.
UsageNames like the Long Parliament and the Rump Parliament take capital letters.
Note
A particular parliament can carry its own number or name, and the naming follows two patterns. An ordinal counts it, as in the fifth parliament or the first Parliament of King Charles. An epithet turns it into a proper noun: Long Parliament, Short Parliament, Rump Parliament. Walter Scott, in Tales of a Grandfather, writes of the army thrusting "the Rump Parliament out of doors."
- 3A gathering of birds, especially rooks or owls, considered together as a single group.
A parliament of owls had taken up residence in the ruined bell tower.
At dawn, a parliament of rooks rose together from the bare branches.
UsageUsed with of: a parliament of owls, a parliament of rooks.
Similarflock
Note
A collective noun built on a picture. Charlotte Mary Yonge's The Heir of Redclyffe describes rooks settling on a common "as if they were consulting, not feeding": the assembly meaning, given feathers. Owls are where most readers now meet it.
Less common meanings
- 4A formal council summoned, especially by a monarch, to discuss important matters of state.
The king summoned a parliament to secure funds for the campaign in France.
By the 13th Century, a parliament was when kings met up with English barons to raise cash for fighting wars - mostly against Scotland.
2014, “A brief history of the UK Parliament”, in BBC NewsSimilarcouncil
Note
Here the word's history shows most plainly: Old French parlement meant "discussion, meeting, negotiation," and a parliament was a talking-together at a ruler's call. The use now lives chiefly in historical writing. BBC News, in 2014, pictures thirteenth-century kings meeting English barons to raise cash for wars.
- 5A type of gingerbread, traditionally thin and crisp, also known as parliament cake.
A certain boy leaning up against me would not allow my elbow room, and struck me very sadly in the stomach part, though his own was full of my parliament.
1869, R[ichard] D[oddridge] Blackmore, Lorna Doone
Practice
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Origin
From Middle English parlement, via Anglo-Norman and Old French parlement ("discussion, meeting, assembly, council"), formed from parler ("to speak") plus the noun-forming suffix -ment. Compare Medieval Latin parlamentum and Italian parlamento.
Checked 5 Nov 2026 · 4 facts
- English parliament comes through Middle English parlement from Anglo-Norman and Old French. en.wiktionary.org
- Old French parlement had the meanings discussion, meeting, assembly and council. en.wiktionary.org
- Parlement was formed from parler, meaning to speak, and the noun-forming suffix -ment. en.wiktionary.org
- Medieval Latin parlamentum and Italian parlamento are comparable related forms. en.wiktionary.org