Other forms: congresses
Congress is the national law-making body of the United States. Congress voted, a member of Congress, an act of Congress.
It has two chambers: the House of Representatives and the Senate. It is capitalised when it means the American one and takes a singular verb. The word also names any large formal meeting of an organisation — a medical congress, a party congress — and it is the name of the legislature in several other countries. Note congressional, the adjective, and congressman and congresswoman, which in practice mean members of the House.
1nouncongressThe national law-making body of the United States.
“Congress passed it in about six weeks, which is fast.”
2nounlargeA large formal meeting of an organisation.
“The congress meets every three years in a different city.”
congress is a governing or meeting body.
Latin congressus means a coming together, from congredi — com-, together, plus gradi, to step. Grade, progress and aggression all come from that verb, so a congress is literally people stepping together.
Latin
congressum
English, today
congress
Built from
From Latin congressum, the past participle of congredior (“to go, come together”), itself from con- + gradior (“to go, step”). The verb is from the noun. Compare typologically coven, convent, convention, omitting several steps, from con- + veniō, сход, схо́дка, akin to сходи́ться, ходи́ть. Also compare sjezd, съезд, akin to съезжа́ться, е́здить. Also compare conference.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA