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congress

congress

65 3.7
The national group of elected people who make and change laws
  • noun
  • /ˈkɒŋɡrɛs/
  • Formal
: Congreso
  • The new policy proposed by the president must be approved by Congress before it can take effect.

And finally the American people and Congress are out talking about it.

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Examples

  • And also the Republican Congress withdrew a lot of the funding for them.

  • And I hope that, I hope I'm wrong and I hope that Congress acts on this quickly.

  • If the law is worth keeping, Congress can pass it again.

  • And finally the American people and Congress are out talking about it.

  • So if you want Environmental Protection, go to Congress and get them to want it.

  • Now that you are in Congress, what do you think can be done?

  • It's the moment every member of Congress fears having to work longer hours.

  • The worry is that the US might have a Congress that's unable to agree on anything.

  • The bills that he's trying to push through Congress are not popular.

  • Right now, he faces a divided congress during a hotly-contested re-election year.

Synonyms

parliament
vscongress
342 3.5

The group of people who make and pass a country's laws

is used as a national lawmaking term especially in the United States context
legislature
vscongress
327 5.3

A group of people who make and change the laws of a country or region

is often the official national name used in that country's political system
U.S. Congress
vscongress
32 2.5

The part of the United States government that makes laws, made of the Senate and the House of Representatives

has the same meaning but is the general term rather than a punctuated abbreviation
United States Congress
vscongress
  • Formal
31 2.5

A national group of elected people who make United States laws and includes the Senate and House of Representatives

is the broad word for any country's national lawmaking institution
US Congress
vscongress
  • Formal
15 3.0

A national body that makes laws, including the Senate and the House of Representatives

has the same meaning but is the full general term rather than an abbreviation
legislative body
vscongress
  • Formal
8 4.5

An official group of people who make and change laws for a country or state

is the specific national term, not just any lawmaking organization
legislative council
vscongress
4 6.8

A group of people who make laws for a state or country

is the general national legislative name, not limited by chamber type
legislative assembly
vscongress
  • Formal
2 5.4

A group of elected people who make and change laws for a country or region

is the national name often used regardless of electoral structure

Compounds

32 2.5

The part of the United States government that makes laws, made of the Senate and the House of Representatives

31 2.5

A national group of elected people who make United States laws and includes the Senate and House of Representatives

US Congress
  • Formal
15 3.0

A national body that makes laws, including the Senate and the House of Representatives

11 4.1

A law that the United States Congress passes

An assembly of colonial representatives who met during the American Revolution to govern and form a national government

5 8.9

A crime of refusing to obey orders or follow rules from Congress

A group of Iraqi opposition leaders and parties formed in 1992 to oppose Saddam Hussein

3 7.5

To have sex with someone

A US civil rights group founded in 1942 to fight racial segregation

A group of trade unions in North America formed in 1935 that joined the American Federation of Labor in 1955

A large group of trade unions in the United States that represents workers

congress boot
  • Archaic
9.9

An ankle-high boot with elastic sides often worn in the 1800s

congress gaiter
  • Archaic
9.9

An ankle-high shoe with elastic sides, worn in the 1800s and early 1900s

congress shoe
  • Archaic
8.2

An ankle-high shoe with elastic sides that you slip on

Sexual activity the law makes illegal, for example sex with a close family member or with a child

How Powerful

congress
  • Formal
65 3.7
parliament
342 3.5
legislature
327 5.3
council
∞ 2.9

Surface Forms

congress singular
congresses plural

Morphology

congress = con + gress

The institutional sense ('the national legislative body') is an extended, specialized meaning of the same Latin-derived formation; learners cannot infer this specific institutional sense from the morphemes alone.

Etymology

The word congress comes from the Latin parts con- 'together' and -gress 'step', the same root as progress. That's why Congress is the national group of people who 'come together' to make laws.