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Glite Dictionary
crossbench

crossbench

8.7
A seat for a member who does not always support the government or the opposition
  • noun
  • /ˈkrɒs.bɛnʧ/
  • Jargon
translation icon : banco cruzado
  • My Lords, the House will know that members of the crossbench group seldom, if ever, speak with one voice.

Examples

  • That is overseen by a crossbench peer with relevant experience.

  • In the debate, the crossbench members provided unbiased perspectives that enriched the discussion.

  • The committee included several crossbench members who aimed to bridge the divide between opposing parties.

  • During the session, a crossbench representative expressed a unique viewpoint that differed from those in government and opposition.

How Independent

independent
122 3.6
crossbench
  • Jargon
8.7
backbencher
  • Jargon
2 7.5
party man
1 6.1

Surface Forms

crossbench singular
crossbenches plural

Morphology

crossbench = cross + bench (semi-transparent) = cross + bench

The compound is clearly formed from 'cross' + 'bench', but the specialized parliamentary sense ('independent members' or their seating) is domain-specific and not fully inferable by an average learner.

Etymology

Crossbench comes from the words cross ('across') and bench ('seat'), so picture someone sitting across from the two main sides in a parliament. A crossbench member sits between the government and the opposition and does not always support either side.