# congressional

/kənˈɡɹɛʃənəɫ/ (US) · /kənɡɹˈɛʃənəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/congressional
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 2. US government

adjective · CEFR B2 · American English

relating specifically to the United States Congress in Washington, D.C.

For teachers: relating specifically to the bicameral legislature of the United States federal government.

- The president needs congressional approval before he can spend the money.
- The senator faced a congressional inquiry regarding the allocation of federal funds during the previous fiscal year.

Usage: Usually capitalized when referring to a specific session or committee.

## Examples

- The president needs congressional approval to pass the new law.
- The senator faced a congressional inquiry regarding the source of his campaign donations last year.
- The proposed infrastructure bill stalled in the house due to a lack of congressional consensus on how to distribute the necessary tax burden across the states.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.