Definition

1. Proper noun:
   • The upper house of the United States Congress: The U.S. Senate is one of the two chambers of the U.S. Congress, the federal legislative branch of the United States government. It is composed of 100 members, two from each state, who serve six-year terms.

Usage

• The term "U.S. Senate" is used to refer specifically to this legislative body as an institution.
• It is typically used with the definite article "the" (e.g., ).
• It functions as a singular proper noun when referring to the institution as a whole.

Examples

• Proper noun:
  • The bill must pass both the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate to become law.
  • She was elected to serve in the U.S. Senate.
  • The U.S. Senate has the power to approve treaties and confirm presidential appointments.

Advanced Usage

• "the Senate": In American political context, "the Senate" is often used alone to refer to the U.S. Senate when the context is clear.
  • The vote in the Senate was very close.

Variants and Related Words

• Senate (noun): Often used as a shortened form for the U.S. Senate in domestic contexts.
• Senator (noun): A member of the U.S. Senate.
  • The senator from California gave a speech.

Synonyms

• Upper chamber: A formal term for the higher house in a bicameral legislature.
• Upper house: A general term for one of the two houses in a bicameral system, equivalent to the Senate.

Related Phrases

• "the other body": Parliamentary jargon sometimes used in one house of Congress to refer to the other (e.g., the Senate might refer to the House of Representatives as "the other body").

Noun

1. the upper house of the United States Congress