senator

senator — noun

1. an elected official who serves in a senate, a part of government that creates ne

1.nounB1
Definition

an elected official who serves in a senate, a part of government that creates new laws and approves important government decisions

Example

The <hw>senator</hw> from Nevada focused on education policy during her first term.

senator from [state/region] + first term

Voters across the state will pick a new <hw>senator</hw> in the November election.

elect / pick / choose a senator

Common collocations
  • senator from [state]
  • elect / choose a senator
  • Senator [Name]
  • serve as a senator
  • the late senator
Synonyms
  • legislator

    broader term — any elected member of a law-making body, not specifically a senate

  • lawmaker

    informal and general — anyone who helps create laws at any level of government

  • representative

    commonly refers to a member of the lower house (e.g., House of Representatives), not the Senate

Usage Note

In the US, a senator is elected to a six-year term and serves in the Senate, while a member of the House of Representatives serves a two-year term. Capitalize when used as a title before a name: Senator Smith.

Common Mistakes

The senator of California gave a speech.
The senator from California gave a speech.
Use 'from' (not 'of') to indicate the state a senator represents.
She is a Senator in the Congress.
She is a senator in Congress.' or 'She is a Senator.
When used as a general noun, 'senator' is lowercase; capitalize it only before a name.

Word family

  • senate
    nounB1
  • senatorial
    adjectiveC1
  • senatorship
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three words refer to people involved in making laws, but they differ in scope and specificity. A senator is a member of a senate, typically the upper house of a bicameral legislature — in the US, each state elects two senators. A legislator is anyone who serves in a law-making body; this is the broadest term and includes senators, representatives, city council members, and others. A representative usually refers to a member of a lower house (like the US House of Representatives), where the number per state depends on population. Lawmaker is an informal, everyday word that can apply to any elected official who votes on new laws. For example: 'The legislator attended committee meetings all week.' 'Our representative in the House voted in favor of the bill.' 'The lawmaker held a town hall to hear from voters.'

legislatorrepresentative ↗lawmaker

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • run for senator
  • serve as a senator
  • Senator [Name]

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinAnglo-Norman FrenchEnglish

The word senator comes from Latin senātor, meaning 'a member of the senate.' The root senex means 'old' — the Roman Senate (senātus) was originally a council of elder statesmen. Via Anglo-Norman French senatour, the word entered Middle English around the 1200s.