upper house

noun

1. one of two branches of a legislature generally smaller and less representative than the lower branch, as the Senate of the U.S. Congress.

upper house

noun

1. often capitals one of the two houses of a bicameral legislature Also calledupper chamber Compare lower house

Word History and Origins

Origin of upper house¹

First recorded in 1525–35

Example Sentences

As well as promising to bring about "immediate modernisation" to the Lords by abolishing hereditary peers, Labour's general election manifesto pledged to introduce a mandatory retirement age of 80 for members of the upper house.

From BBC

She is a member of the government and deputy speaker in the upper house of the South Sudanese parliament, and is from Ruweng.

From BBC

It was watered down eventually, despite former Prime Minister Tony Blair's manifesto promise to end the right of hereditary peers to sit and vote in the upper house.

From BBC

Democrats in the California Senate, who said they wanted to pass Newsom’s original proposal about supply mandates before the regular session ended, decided to wait for the Assembly to vote on the bills before reconvening the upper house in the special session.

From Los Angeles Times

Hopeful candidates headed to district offices across the country on the first day of registration to compete for one of the 200 seats in Parliament’s upper house.

From Seattle Times