Pär'liä-ment, n.

n. [Fr. parlement, Pr. parlament, Sp., Pg., & It. parlamento, L. Lat. parlamentum, parliamentum, from Fr. parler, Pr. & Sp. parlar, It. parlare, to speak. See supra.]

1. A parleying; set discourse; conference; meeting for consultation. [Obs.] “But first they held their parliament.” Chaucer.
2. The grand assembly of the three estates of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, viz., the lords spiritual, lords temporal, and the commons, sitting in the two houses, the House of Lords and the House of Commons, constituting the legislature, summoned by the king’s authority to consult on the affairs of the nation, and to enact and repeal laws.

☞ Primarily, the king may be considered as a constituent branch of parliament; but the word is generally used to denote the three estates above named.

3. The supreme council, consisting of four estates: the nobility and representatives of the gentry; the clergy, one of which body is elected from every rural deanery of ten parishes; the burghers, elected by the magistrates and council of every corporation; and the peasants, elected by persons of their own order. [Sweden.]
4. One of the several principal judicial courts of the country. [France, before the Revolution.]