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parliament

/ˈpɑrləmənt/
/ˈpɑləmənt/
IPA guide

Other forms: parliaments

In some countries — Great Britain for example — the group of people who make the laws is called the parliament. It's the equivalent of Congress in the United States.

The most common meaning of parliament refers to a country's legislative (law-making) body. England's parliament is very famous. The word comes in part from the French verb parler, which means to speak, which makes sense since this group of people assemble to talk about laws and issues. Another meaning of parliament is the card game known as fan tan or sevens, where you lead with your sevens in a certain sequence and win by using up all your cards.

Definitions of parliament
  1. noun
    a legislative assembly in certain countries
    see moresee less
    types:
    British Parliament
    the British legislative body
    Knesset, Knesseth
    the Israeli unicameral parliament
    Oireachtas
    the parliament of the Irish Republic
    type of:
    general assembly, law-makers, legislative assembly, legislative body, legislature
    persons who make or amend or repeal laws
  2. noun
    a card game in which you play your sevens and other cards in sequence in the same suit as the sevens; you win if you are the first to use all your cards
    synonyms: fantan, sevens
    see moresee less
    type of:
    card game, cards
    a game played with playing cards
Pronunciation
US
/ˈpɑrləmənt/
UK
/ˈpɑləmənt/
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