Definition

1. Noun:

   • A parliamentary delaying tactic: A filibuster is a prolonged speech or series of speeches made to delay or prevent a legislative body from voting on a proposed law.
   • A person who uses this tactic: A filibuster is also a legislator who engages in such a delaying speech or action.

2. Verb:

   • To obstruct legislation by speaking: To filibuster means to engage in a prolonged speech or use other parliamentary tactics to delay or block a vote on legislation.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:

  • The senator's 12-hour filibuster successfully blocked the vote on the bill.
  • The opposition party threatened to launch a filibuster to stall the controversial legislation.

• Verb:

  • The minority party plans to filibuster the nomination.
  • They filibustered for days, reading from the phone book to waste time.

Advanced Usage

• "To break a filibuster": To end a filibuster, often by invoking cloture (a procedure to limit debate).
  • The majority leader needed 60 votes to break the filibuster.
• "Talking filibuster": A traditional filibuster where a senator must hold the floor by continuously speaking.
  • The classic "talking filibuster" was famously depicted in the film Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.

Variants and Related Words

• Filibustering (gerund/noun): The act of conducting a filibuster.
  • The week was consumed by endless filibustering.
• Filibusterer (noun): Another term for a person who filibusters.
  • The veteran filibusterer was known for his stamina.

Synonyms

• Noun (tactic): Delay, obstruction, stonewalling, holding action.
• Verb: Obstruct, delay, stall, stonewall, talk out.

Related Phrases

• "To stage a filibuster": To organize and begin a filibuster.
  • The senator staged a last-minute filibuster.
• "Filibuster-proof majority": A majority large enough (typically 60 seats in the U.S. Senate) to overcome a potential filibuster.
  • The party fell short of a filibuster-proof majority.

Related Idioms

• "Talk a bill to death": An informal idiom describing the effect of a filibuster.
  • Fearing they would lose the vote, they tried to talk the bill to death.

Noun

1. (law) a tactic for delaying or obstructing legislation by making long speeches
2. a legislator who gives long speeches in an effort to delay or obstruct legislation that he (or she) opposes

Verb

1. obstruct deliberately by delaying