Definition

1. Noun:
   • The upper house of the British Parliament: The British House of Lords is one of the two houses of the UK Parliament, the other being the House of Commons. It is not elected but consists of appointed life peers, hereditary peers, and bishops.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The bill was passed by the House of Commons but rejected by the British House of Lords.
  • Members of the British House of Lords are known as 'Lords'.
  • Reforming the British House of Lords has been a topic of political debate for years.

Advanced Usage

• "to sit in the House of Lords": to be a member of the House of Lords.
  • After his retirement from politics, he was appointed to sit in the House of Lords.
• "a vote in the Lords": a decision made by the members of the House of Lords.
  • The government's proposal faced a close vote in the Lords.

Variants and Related Words

• The Lords: A common shortened, informal reference to the British House of Lords.
  • The issue will be debated in the Lords next week.
• House of Commons: The lower, elected house of the UK Parliament.
• Parliament: The supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, consisting of the Sovereign, the House of Lords, and the House of Commons.

Synonyms

• Upper House: A general term for the higher house in a bicameral legislature, of which the British House of Lords is an example.
• Second Chamber: Another term for the upper house in a parliamentary system.

Related Phrases

• Act of Parliament: A law that has been passed by both houses of Parliament and received Royal Assent.
  • This Act of Parliament was heavily amended by the House of Lords.
• Parliamentary scrutiny: The examination of government policy and legislation by Parliament.
  • The British House of Lords provides detailed parliamentary scrutiny of legislation.

Related Concepts

• Life Peer: A member of the House of Lords appointed for their lifetime, a title not passed to heirs.
• Hereditary Peer: A member of the House of Lords whose right to sit is inherited, though their numbers are now limited.
• Lord Spiritual: Bishops of the Church of England who sit in the House of Lords.
• Lord Temporal: Members of the House of Lords who are not bishops (i.e., life peers and hereditary peers).

Noun

1. the upper house of the British parliament