Definition

Noun: 1. The upper house of the parliament of the Irish Republic: The Seanad is one of the two houses of the Oireachtas (the national parliament of Ireland), functioning as a reviewing chamber for legislation proposed by the lower house, Dáil Éireann.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The bill must be approved by both the Dáil and the Seanad.
  • Members of the Seanad are not directly elected by the public.
  • The debate in the Seanad lasted for several hours.

Advanced Usage

• "Seanad Éireann": The full official name in Irish, meaning "Senate of Ireland".
  • The composition of Seanad Éireann is outlined in the Constitution.
• "Seanad election": Refers to the process of selecting members for the upper house.
  • The university panels are a unique feature of the Seanad election.

Variants and Related Words

• Senate (n): A general term for an upper legislative house, often used as a translation or equivalent for "Seanad" in other contexts.
  • Many countries have a senate as part of their parliamentary system.

Synonyms

• Upper house: The chamber of a bicameral legislature that is typically smaller and has a reviewing function.
• Second chamber: Another term for the upper house in a parliamentary system.

Notes on Meaning

The word "Seanad" is a proper noun and is always capitalized. It refers specifically to the Irish institution. While it is analogous to senates in other countries, it has unique features regarding its composition and powers within the Irish constitutional framework.

Noun

1. the upper house of the parliament of the Irish Republic