What does prorogue mean?
Prorogue is a formal verb meaning to postpone, suspend, or defer the continuation of an organized activity. It is especially associated with legal and parliamentary proceedings: a government may prorogue Parliament, a legislature may prorogue a session, or a court may prorogue a hearing. The term does not ordinarily mean to cancel an event permanently; it indicates that the activity is being put off and may later resume. In ordinary speech, postpone, defer, or delay are more usual, but prorogue conveys a formal or official act. It derives from Latin, in which prorogare meant to prolong or defer. Its distinctive parliamentary sense reflects the idea of temporarily extending or interrupting the life of a session rather than dissolving the body altogether.
verbTo postpone or defer the continuation of a session, meeting, hearing, or other activity, especially by official action. The word is most commonly used in legal, parliamentary, and institutional contexts.
- To postpone or defer the continuation of a session, meeting, hearing, or other activity.
- To formally suspend the proceedings of Parliament or another legislative body.
"The government decided to prorogue Parliament rather than continue debating the controversial bill."
"The committee voted to prorogue the hearing until additional evidence was available."
"In a disputed case, the judge may prorogue proceedings and reconvene the court later."
In parliamentary usage, prorogue means to end or suspend a session officially without dissolving the institution.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does prorogue come from?
The word comes from Latin prorogare, formed from pro- (“forward” or “onward”) and rogare (“ask” or “propose”), and originally meant to prolong, defer, or put off. It entered English through legal and parliamentary usage, where it developed the sense of formally suspending a session or proceeding. Its cognate prolong comes from the same Latin root and retains the related meaning of extending the duration of something.
Related word forms
How prorogue is actually used
The word is formal and especially associated with law, parliament, and institutional procedure. It is less common in general conversation, where postpone or delay is usually preferred.
Easily confused with prorogue
Prolong means to make something last longer, whereas prorogue means to postpone or suspend the continuation of an activity or proceeding.