# senate

Pronunciation: US say "SEN-uht" /ˈsɛnət/; UK say "SEN-it" /ˈsɛnɪt/

## Noun

1. The upper house or chamber in some bicameral legislative systems, such as the United States Congress.
   - Simple: One of the two lawmaking groups in some countries, called the upper house and often smaller than the other.
   - _The senate rejected the budget bill by a narrow margin._
   - _Several countries have abolished their senates in favor of single-chamber parliaments._
2. A body of experienced and respected individuals who serve as decision makers or advisors in a political system or in institutional governance, such as a university, traditionally composed of people of advanced age.
   - Simple: A group of respected, experienced people who help make decisions for a government, a university, or another organization.
   - _The faculty senate approved the new curriculum after months of debate._
   - _Rome's senate advised the consuls on matters of war and finance._
3. In Germany, the executive government of the city-states of Berlin, Bremen, and Hamburg, the historical governments of cities that belonged to the Hanseatic League, or the bench of judges in a higher appellate court.
   - Simple: In Germany, the government of certain cities, such as Berlin and Hamburg, or a group of judges in a high court.
   - _The Hamburg senate approved a major expansion of the port._
   - _The third senate of the Federal Court of Justice will hear the appeal next month._

## Origin

Latin senātus ("council of elders; a senate"), formed from senex ("old"), passed into Old French as senat and from there into Middle English as senat.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/senate (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).