reconciliation
noun
rec·on·cil·i·a·tion
ˌre-kən-ˌsi-lē-ˈā-shən
1
: the action of reconciling : the state of being reconciled
2
: the Roman Catholic sacrament of penance
3
US government
: a legislative process that enables expedited passage of a bill relating to certain matters in the federal budget by a simple majority of votes
used reconciliation to repeal the bill passed during the prior session of Congress
Aides to senior House Republicans said Thursday that committee chairmen were meeting now to decide whether a budget plan … will include parliamentary language, known as reconciliation instructions, that would allow much of a Republican health care plan to pass the filibuster-prone Senate with a simple majority.—Jonathan Weisman
Cite this Entry
“Reconciliation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reconciliation. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.
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