prorogation

[ proh-ruh-gey-shuhn ]

noun

1. (in Britain and other parliamentary jurisdictions) the act of proroguing, or discontinuing, a session of Parliament or other legislature:

   This bill has now been presented a number of times, after delay by prorogation and other maneuvers of the government.

2. the act of deferring or postponing something, or of extending it past the end of its term:

   If the landlord does not oppose the prorogation of the lease, the tenant has the right to continue occupying the premises.

3. (in the European Union) the choice, by either party in a dispute, of the jurisdiction deemed most suitable for the case:

   The judge considered the husband's argument that there had been prorogation of jurisdiction in favor of the courts of Poland, and concluded that there had not.

Other Words From

• non·pro·ro·ga·tion noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of prorogation¹

First recorded in 1400–50; from Latin prōrogātiōn-, stem of prōrogātiō “postponement, prolonging” (from prōrogāt(us) “prolonged,” past participle of prōrogāre “to prolong”) + -iō -ion ( def ); prorogue ( def )

Example Sentences

Defections are also wiped away; so the two seats occupied by the Alba Party at prorogation are officially SNP defences, as is Lisa Cameron's former East Kilbride seat, despite her defection to the Tories.

From BBC

There had already been worries at Buckingham Palace about Mr Johnson's government's behaviour after the Commons had been kept closed the previous summer - the so-called "prorogation" in 2019 which had been technically carried out by the Queen.

From BBC

And in the United Kingdom, Brenda Hale, the president of the Supreme Court, made headlines when she wore a brooch in the shape of a spider to deliver her verdict concerning Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s prorogation of Parliament in 2019.

From Washington Post

He also referenced the unlawful prorogation of Parliament in 2019 when the Brexit deal was being debated, and the controversy over lobbying by former Conservative MP Owen Paterson.

From BBC

"This government has done a number of things that have concerned me deeply: they have broken the law, the illegal prorogation of Parliament. They have broken treaties, I have in mind the Northern Ireland Protocol. They have broken their word on many occasions."

From BBC

Related Words

• lag
• moratorium
• postponement
• problem
• setback
• stoppage
• suspension
• wait