congress

[ noun kong-gris; verb kuhn-gres, kuhng- ]

noun

1. (initial capital letter)
   1. the national legislative body of the U.S., consisting of the Senate, or upper house, and the House of Representatives, or lower house, as a continuous institution.
   2. this body as it exists for a period of two years during which it has the same membership:

      the Ninety-Seventh Congress.

   3. a session of this body:

      to speak in Congress.

2. the national legislative body of a nation, especially of a republic.
3. a formal meeting or assembly of representatives for the discussion, arrangement, or promotion of some matter of common interest.

   Synonyms: convention, council, conference

4. the act of coming together; an encounter; meeting.
5. an association, especially one composed of representatives of various organizations.
6. familiar relations; dealings intercourse.
7. sexual intercourse; coitus.

verb (used without object)

1. to assemble together; meet in congress.

congress

¹

/ ˈkɒŋɡrɛs /

noun

1. a meeting or conference, esp of representatives of a number of sovereign states
2. a national legislative assembly
3. a society or association
4. sexual intercourse

Congress

²

/ ˈkɒŋɡrɛs /

noun

1. the bicameral federal legislature of the US, consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate
2. this body during any two-year term
3. Also calledCongress Party (in India) a major political party, which controlled the Union government from 1947 to 1977 Official nameIndian National Congress

Congress

1. The legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the House of Representatives and the Senate . Popularly elected, senators and representatives are responsible for advocating the interests of the constituents they represent. Numerous congressional committees are organized to study issues of public policy, recommend action, and, ultimately, pass laws. Congress plays an important role in the system of checks and balances ; in fact, the two-house (bicameral) organization of Congress acts as an internal check, for each house must separately vote to pass a bill for it to become a law. In addition to lawmaking, Congress has a variety of functions, including appropriation of funds for executive and judicial activities; instituting taxes and regulating commerce; declaring war and raising and supporting a military; setting up federal courts and conducting impeachment proceedings; and approving presidential appointments.

Derived Forms

• Conˈgressional, adjective

Other Words From

• pre-Congress noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of congress¹

First recorded in 1350–1400 for earlier sense “body of attendants, following”; Middle English, from Latin congressus “assembly, intercourse, meeting,” equivalent to congred(ī) “to approach, meet” ( con- “with, together” + -gredī, combining form of gradī “to step”) + -tus suffix of verbal action; con-; grade

Word History and Origins

Origin of congress¹

C16: from Latin congressus from congredī to meet with, from com- together + gradī to walk, step

Example Sentences

Red Star turns a 19th century congress into poignant tribute.

From Los Angeles Times

It references a letter to Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin, written by three Republican members of congress, expressing “grave concern” over “deficiencies” in procedures for overseas military personnel to vote.

From BBC

Some 36 years after Wille's appearance, a Norwegian woman was once again making waves with a speech at a Fifa congress.

From BBC

She can also count on a loyal congress and, following the reform, potentially the control of the judiciary, too.

From BBC

Min is currently locked in a tight race for congress against Republican Scott Baugh in Orange County.

From Los Angeles Times

More About Congress

What is Congress?

Congress is the federal legislative body of the United States, which is responsible for passing federal, or nationwide, laws.

In the United States, Congress is the legislative branch of the federal government. Only it can create and pass federal laws.

Congress is divided into two houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Senate is commonly referred to as the “upper house” and consists of 100 members (called senators), two from each of the 50 states. The House of Representatives (often shortened to “the House”) has 435 voting members, known as representatives. The size of a state’s population determines how many representatives that state gets. All members of Congress are elected by the citizens of the state they represent.

Congress has many powers, such as to introduce new taxes, to admit new states to the United States, and to declare war. Most of Congress’s work is creating and passing federal laws.

Because all US federal laws are created by it, Congress plays a huge role in Americans’ lives, even if most Americans don’t pay close attention to Congress’s daily activities.

Why is Congress important?

Congress was established by the US Constitution, the document that serves as the fundamental law of the country. Written in 1787 and accepted in 1788, the Constitution specifically uses the word Congress in Article I, Section 1, stating “All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.”

The Constitution also specifically states which powers and responsibilities Congress would have. Due to the limited time Congress has to do its work, both houses have numerous smaller committees that spend time creating and debating bills before introducing them to the larger house. Despite this, Congress still often takes a long time to agree on the final version of a bill.

Did you know … ?

The United States Congress resembles the United Kingdom’s Parliament. This is on purpose. In fact, Senators used to be appointed by state legislatures, similar to how members of the House of Lords are appointed by the English monarch and the nobility.

What are real-life examples of Congress?

This photo depicts the United States Capitol Building, where both houses of Congress perform their daily responsibilities.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-medium" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/US_Capitol_west_side.JPG" width="3865" height="2000" />

“US Capitol, west side” by Martin Falbisoner. Source: Wikipedia. License: CC BY-SA 3.0

​Most Americans know about Congress and its ability to make laws. Today, Congress is often frequently and passionately talked about by Americans on social media.

Also, no, all it would take is a simple act of Congress, as has been done with other states before.

— David Langum (@DaveLangum) May 18, 2021

Today #SexEd champions in Congress introduced the Real Education and Access to Health Youth Act (#REAHYA), which would make essential investments in honest & inclusive sex ed programs!! Thank you to @RepBarbaraLee, @RepAdams, @CoryBooker , & @maziehirono! https://t.co/c3TbEDlQ2g

— Sex Ed with DB (@SexEdwithDB) May 18, 2021

What other words are related to Congress?

• legislative branch
• legislation
• United States Senate
• House of Representatives
• law
• bill
• branches of government
• executive branch
• judicial branch

Quiz yourself!

True or False?

In the United States, Congress has the power to make state laws.