Meaning
- Parliament is a noun that refers to the supreme legislative body of a country, typically responsible for making laws, debating national issues, and representing the citizens.
- In many countries, parliament consists of two chambers (for example, the House of Commons and House of Lords in the UK).
Grammar and Usage
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Part of speech: Noun (countable, sometimes uncountable when used in a general sense).
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It is often preceded by the when referring to a specific country's parliament (e.g., the British Parliament).
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Common patterns:
- Parliament + verb → "Parliament passed the bill."
- Member of Parliament (MP) → a representative elected to parliament.
Common Phrases
- Dissolve parliament – to officially end a parliamentary session.
- Open parliament – to begin a parliamentary session.
- Parliamentary debate – a discussion held within parliament.
- Parliament building – the physical place where parliament meets.
Collocations
- pass through parliament
- parliament approves/rejects
- parliamentary system
- parliamentary democracy
- parliament session
Examples
- The new law will not take effect until it is approved by parliament.
- The Prime Minister announced that parliament would be dissolved next month.
- She was elected as a Member of Parliament in the recent election.
- The parliament building in London is one of the most famous landmarks in the world.
- The bill passed through parliament after weeks of debate.
- Parliament plays a crucial role in representing the voice of the people.
- Many countries have a two-chamber parliament, such as an upper and lower house.
- The opposition party criticized the government during the parliamentary session.
Synonyms or Related
- legislature
- assembly
- congress (in some countries)
- national assembly
- house of representatives