Prorogation
noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 Causing something to last longer or remain in effect longer; prolongation, continuance. countable, uncountable
- 2 discontinuation of the meeting (of a legislative body) without dissolving it wordnet
- 3 The action of proroguing an assembly, especially a parliament; discontinuance of meetings for a given period of time, without dissolution. countable, uncountable
"There were extraordinary scenes of chaos and anger in the House of Commons overnight as opposition MPs staged a protest against the suspension of parliament for five weeks – a prorogation that the Speaker of the House said represented “an act of executive fiat”."
- 4 The period of such a discontinuance between two sessions of a legislative body. countable, uncountable
- 5 Deferral to a later time; postponement. archaic, countable, uncountable
Example
More examples"There were extraordinary scenes of chaos and anger in the House of Commons overnight as opposition MPs staged a protest against the suspension of parliament for five weeks – a prorogation that the Speaker of the House said represented “an act of executive fiat”."
Etymology
From Anglo-Norman prorogation, Middle French prorogation, and their source, Latin prōrogātiō (“extension, postponement”).
Related phrases
More for "prorogation"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.