congress

noun

con·​gress ˈkäŋ-grəs How to pronounce congress (audio)
 also  -rəs,
 British usually  ˈkäŋ-ˌgres
Synonyms of congressnext
1
a
: the act or action of coming together and meeting
b
: coitus
2
: a formal meeting of delegates for discussion and usually action on some question
the Congress of Vienna
3
: the supreme legislative body of a nation and especially of a republic
the Congress of the United States
4
: an association usually made up of delegates from constituent organizations
the World Energy Congress
5
: a single meeting or session of a group
congressional
kən-ˈgresh-nəl How to pronounce congress (audio)
kän-
-ˈgre-shə-nᵊl
adjective
congressionally adverb

Synonyms

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Examples of congress in a Sentence

She was recently elected to the country's congress. the congresses of Mexico and Chile The bill easily passed both houses of Congress. Congress is not currently in session.
Recent Examples on the Web What’s more, there was something unusual about each of those congresses. —Nathaniel Rakich, ABC News, 25 Mar. 2024 And the top two were both recent examples: the 115th (2017-18) and 117th (2021-22) congresses. —Nathaniel Rakich, ABC News, 25 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for congress 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'congress.' 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

Latin congressus, from congredi to come together, from com- + gradi to go — more at grade entry 1

First Known Use

1528, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of congress was in 1528

Phrases Containing congress

Dictionary Entries Near congress

congregative

congress

Congress cap

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Congress.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/congress. Accessed 29 May. 2024.

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Kids Definition

congress

noun
con·​gress ˈkäŋ-grəs How to pronounce congress (audio)
1
: a formal meeting of delegates for discussion and action
2
: the chief lawmaking body of a nation and especially of a republic that in the U.S. is made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives
3
: an association of organizations having a common interest
congressional
kən-ˈgresh-nəl
-ən-ᵊl
adjective
congressionally
-ē
adverb

Medical Definition

congress

noun
con·​gress
ˈkäŋ-grəs also -rəs, British usually ˈkäŋ-ˌgres
: coitus

Legal Definition

congress

noun
con·​gress
1
: a formal meeting of delegates
2
a
: the supreme legislative body of a nation and especially a republic
b
capitalized : the legislative branch of the United States government
specifically : the U.S. House of Representatives
3
capitalized
a
: the U.S. legislature as it is composed for an enumerated two-year period
the 101st Congress
b
: a single session of the U.S. legislature see also house of representatives, senate
congressional adjective
congressionally adverb
Etymology

Latin congressus meeting, encounter, from congredi to approach, meet

More from Merriam-Webster on congress

Nglish: Translation of congress for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of congress for Arabic Speakers

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