- the bicameral federal legislature of the US, consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate
- Also called: Congress Party (in India) a major political party, which controlled the Union government from 1947 to 1977
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
Congress /ˈkɒŋɡrɛs/ n
con•gress /ˈkɑŋgrɪs/USA pronunciation
n.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Government the national law-making body of the U.S.: [no article][proper noun* Congress]Congress was not in session when we visited Washington.[the + ~]The Congress won't agree to that plan.
- Government[countable] the national law-making body of a nation, esp. of a republic.
- [countable] a formal meeting of representatives for discussing a matter of interest.
con•gress
(n. kong′gris;v. kən gres′, kəng-),USA pronunciation n.
v.i.
- Government(cap.)
- the national legislative body of the U.S., consisting of the Senate, or upper house, and the House of Representatives, or lower house, as a continuous institution.
- this body as it exists for a period of two years during which it has the same membership:the 96th Congress.
- a session of this body:to speak in Congress.
- Governmentthe national legislative body of a nation, esp. of a republic.
- a formal meeting or assembly of representatives for the discussion, arrangement, or promotion of some matter of common interest.
- the act of coming together;
an encounter;
meeting. - an association, esp. one composed of representatives of various organizations.
- familiar relations;
dealings;
intercourse. - coitus;
sexual intercourse.
v.i.
- to assemble together;
meet in congress.
- Latin congressus assembly, intercourse, meeting, equivalent. to congred(ī) to approach, meet (con- con- + -gredī, combining form of gradī to step; compare grade) + -tus suffix of verb, verbal action
- 1350–1400 for earlier sense "body of attendants, following''; 1520–30 for current senses; Middle English
- 3. conference, council, convention.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
congress /ˈkɒŋɡrɛs/ n
- a meeting or conference, esp of representatives of a number of sovereign states
- a national legislative assembly
- a society or association
'Congress' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
African National Congress
- ANC
- Bose
- Capitol
- Castlereagh
- Chile
- Chu Teh
- CLC
- congressional
- Congressman
- Congresswoman
- COSATU
- Dobruja
- Homestead Act
- House of Representatives
- Mandela
- MC
- Member
- Member of Congress
- Murray
- Nehru
- PAC
- Pan-Africanist Congress
- private bill
- representative
- repudiate
- Sivas
- Tambo
- Trades Union Congress
- TUC
- Valparaíso
- War of American Independence
- Willis
- Abscam
- act
- AFL-CIO
- Air Medal
- Albany Congress
- amend
- American Federation of Labor
- American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations
- Amtrak
- ANTA
- antiestablishment
- assembly
- authorize
- ax
- aye
- battle plan
- Bland-Allison Act