parliamentarian
noun
par·lia·men·tar·i·an
ˌpär-lə-ˌmen-ˈter-ē-ən 
-mən-
also ˌpärl-yə-
1
often Parliamentarian
: an adherent of the parliament in opposition to the king during the English Civil War
2
: an expert in the rules and usages of a deliberative assembly (such as a parliament)
3
: a member of a parliament
Examples of parliamentarian in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Trump has also urged him to fire the parliamentarian, a nonpartisan appointee who determines whether key parts of bills follow Senate rules.
—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
2 July 2026
However, the body's parliamentarian later determined that the votes had been miscounted.
—
Joseph Flaherty,
Arkansas Online,
1 July 2026
Unlike the House’s reconciliation process, the Senate is a more delicate balancing act between a marathon voting session where Democrats try to exploit defections and the chamber’s parliamentarian, who acts as a referee for which policies may be excluded.
—
Ramsey Touchberry,
The Washington Examiner,
9 June 2026
Senate parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough, who serves in a nonpartisan role advising on Senate procedure, had ruled in May that a $1 billion Secret Service provision for the project could not be included in the package.
—
Justin Papp,
CNBC,
8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for parliamentarian
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Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
2 July 2026
However, the body's parliamentarian later determined that the votes had been miscounted.
—
Joseph Flaherty,
Arkansas Online,
1 July 2026
Unlike the House’s reconciliation process, the Senate is a more delicate balancing act between a marathon voting session where Democrats try to exploit defections and the chamber’s parliamentarian, who acts as a referee for which policies may be excluded.
—
Ramsey Touchberry,
The Washington Examiner,
9 June 2026
Senate parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough, who serves in a nonpartisan role advising on Senate procedure, had ruled in May that a $1 billion Secret Service provision for the project could not be included in the package.
—
Justin Papp,
CNBC,
8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for parliamentarian
Cite this Entry
“Parliamentarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parliamentarian. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
parliamentarian
noun
par·lia·men·tar·i·an
ˌpär-lə-ˌmen-ˈter-ē-ən
-mən-
also ˌpärl-yə-
: an expert in parliamentary procedure
Legal Definition
parliamentarian
noun
par·lia·men·tar·i·an
ˌpär-lə-ˌmen-ˈtar-ē-ən, ˌpärl-yə-, -mən-
1
: an expert in the rules and usages of a parliament or other deliberative assembly
specifically, often capitalized
: an officer of a legislative body acting as adviser on matters of procedure
Note: The parliamentarian of the U.S. House of Representatives is appointed by the Speaker of the House. The Secretary of the Senate appoints the Senate's parliamentarian with approval of the majority leader.
2
: a member of a parliament
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