senate

noun

sen·​ate ˈse-nət How to pronounce senate (audio)
plural senates
Synonyms of senatenext
1
: an assembly or council usually possessing high deliberative and legislative functions: such as
a
: the second chamber in the bicameral legislature of a major political unit (such as a nation, state, or province)
—often used in capitalized form as the shortened name of a specific senate
The bill passed in both the House and the Senate.
Senate Republicans
This article contends that most issues related to Senate reform in Canada have been addressed in Australia.—Howard Cody
b
: the supreme council of the ancient Roman republic and empire
2
: the hall or chamber in which a senate meets
3
: a governing body of some universities charged with maintaining academic standards and regulations and usually composed of the principal or representative members of the faculty

Examples of senate in a Sentence

the New York State Senate The Senate approved the bill. The Senate voted to repeal the tax cut.
Recent Examples on the Web At Siena College in upstate New York, Conor Geary earned a degree in marketing and management, with a minor in philosophy, and was a leader in the student senate. —Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 28 May 2024 Maryland’s Republican senate candidate Larry Hogan edged out his Democratic opponent, Angela Alsobrooks, in fundraising during this year’s second quarter, even as a super PAC has assembled millions more that could be put toward installing him in the Senate. —Clara Ence Morse, Washington Post, 16 July 2024 Letters addressing student concerns about the program were sent to student senates from Jones. —Emma Hall, Sacramento Bee, 10 July 2024 By 2013, Anyang’ became a member of the Kenyan senate, representing Kisumu County. —Yasmeen Hamadeh, Peoplemag, 29 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for senate 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'senate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English senat, from Anglo-French, from Latin senatus, from sen-, senex old, old man — more at senior

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of senate was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near senate

senat

senate

senator

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Senate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/senate. Accessed 18 Aug. 2024.

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Kids Definition

senate

noun
sen·​ate ˈsen-ət How to pronounce senate (audio)
: an official law-making group or council: as
a
: the supreme council of the ancient Roman republic and empire
b
: the higher branch of a legislature of a nation, state, or province
Etymology

Middle English senat "lawmaking council of ancient Rome," from early French senat (same meaning), from Latin senatus, literally, "council of elders," from sen-, senex "old" — related to senior

Legal Definition

senate

noun
sen·​ate ˈse-nət How to pronounce senate (audio)
: the upper chamber in a bicameral legislature
especially, capitalized : the upper house of the U.S. Congress or a state legislature
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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