Senate

A senate is a deliberative body, often the upper house or chamber of a legislature. The word senate is derived from the Latin word senex (old man), via the Latin word senatus (senate). The members (or legislators) of a senate are called senators. The Latin word senator has been adopted by English with no change in spelling. Its meaning comes from a very ancient form of even simple social organisation in which decision-making powers are reserved for the eldest men. For the same reason, the word senate is correctly used when referring to any powerful authority characteristically composed by the eldest members of a community, as a deliberative body of a faculty in an institution of higher learning is often called a senate. The original senate was the Roman Senate.

Senates around the world

• Argentina
• Australia
• Belgium
• Brazil
• Canada
• Colombia
• Czech Republic
• Fiji
• France
• Ireland (Seanad Éireann)
• Italy
• Mexico
• Pakistan
• Philippines
• Poland
• Romania
• Spain
• United States

Defunct Senates

• Bavaria (abolished 1999)
• Malta (abolished 1949)
• Northern Ireland (1921-1972)
• South Africa (1910-1981 and 1994-1997)
• Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) (abolished 1971)
• Peru (abolished 1993)
• Turkey (abolished 1980s)
• Venezuela (abolished 2000)
• Zimbabwe (1980-1990)