German word

Bundesrat

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈbʊndəsˌʁaːt/

Meaning

  • masculine nounupper house

Example

Der Bundesrat hat dem Gesetz gestern zugestimmt.

The upper house approved the bill yesterday.

Illustration for Bundesrat (upper house)

More examples

Viele Leute kennen den Bundesrat nicht gut.

Many people do not know the upper house well.

Core concept

Representatives of Germany's state governments gathered at the federal lawmaking table.

Common phrases

  • der Bundesrat

    the upper house

  • in den Bundesrat

    to the upper house

Similar words

Bundestag: The publicly elected chamber that debates and enacts laws for the country.
Regierung: The executive authority that enforces laws and puts government policy into practice.
Bundeskanzler: The federal government's leading politician, responsible for setting and guiding its policy.
Landtag: The representative assembly that makes laws and sets policy within a German state.

Definition in German

Bundesrat bezeichnet die Vertretung der deutschen Länder auf Bundesebene, die bei vielen Gesetzesvorhaben mitentscheidet.

Word origin

Bundesrat is a compound of Bundes-, the adjective form of Bund 'federation', and Rat 'council', so it means a federal council.

Usage tips

  • Unlike the Bundestag, the Bundesrat consists of delegates from the Länder governments, and each Land casts its votes as a single bloc.

Other meanings

  • Federal Councilnoun

Word lists with this word