Added 9 October 2026
senate
/ˈsɛnɪt/ noun
In Latin: senātus Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about senate at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- In some bicameral legislative systems, the upper house or chamber.
- A group of experienced, respected, wise individuals serving as decision makers or advisors in a political system or in institutional governance, as in a university, and traditionally of advanced age.
- In Germany, the executive branch of government in the city states of Berlin, Bremen, and Hamburg; the governments of cities that were part of the Hanseatic League; and the bench in a higher appellate court.
Origin
From Middle English senat, from Old French senat, from Latin senātus (“council of elders; a senate”), from senex (“old”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)