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Glite Dictionary
Palace of Westminster

Palace of Westminster

3.7
A large historic building in London where Parliament meets
  • proper noun
translation icon : Palacio de Westminster
  • During the State Opening of Parliament, the Queen arrives at the Palace of Westminster in a grand procession.

Examples

  • Tourists from around the world visit the Palace of Westminster to see its stunning architecture.

  • So we're increasing that and we're putting out ramps all across the Palace of Westminster for members who have hearing difficulty.

  • And for the old Palace of Westminster, there was no tomorrow.

  • The Palace of Westminster houses the Houses of Commons and Lords, where crucial decisions are made.

Synonyms

Houses of Parliament
vsPalace of Westminster
2 3.0

A building in London where the two parts of the UK Parliament meet

is the formal historic name for the same building

Surface Forms

Palace of Westminster main

Morphology

palace + of + Westminster

The combination of 'palace' + 'of' + the place name 'Westminster' transparently signals a palace located in Westminster, so a B1 learner who knows the words will infer a notable building at that location. However, the specific institutional function — that it is the meeting place of the British Parliament — is not directly derivable from the constituents and requires world knowledge or prior exposure.

Etymology

Palace of Westminster began as a royal palace next to a large west-side church called a 'minster', so the area became known as Westminster. Over time kings met there and then 'parliament' used the same building, so today the Palace of Westminster is the place where Britain's parliament meets.