member of congress

IPA/ˌmembər əv ˈkɒŋɡres/
IPA/ˌmembər əv ˈkɑːŋɡres/

member of congress — noun

1. a person elected to the U.S. Congress, the national law-making body in Washingto

1.nounB2
Definition

a person elected to the U.S. Congress, the national law-making body in Washington, D.C., that writes and passes federal laws. The term most often refers to a member of the House of Representatives, but it can also include senators.

Example

Rohan worked as a member of Congress for twelve years before he retired.

quantifier + years as member of Congress

Antonia, a member of Congress from Ohio, helped draft a new bill to protect local farms.

member of Congress from [state] — common modifier for specifying jurisdiction

Common collocations
  • member of Congress from [state]
  • former member of Congress
  • bipartisan group of members of Congress
  • members of Congress in both chambers
Synonyms
  • congressman / congresswoman

    Gender-specific informal alternatives common in news media but less formal than 'member of Congress'.

  • representative

    Specifically refers to a member of the House of Representatives, not a senator.

  • lawmaker

    A general term for anyone who helps write laws; broader than 'member of Congress', as it includes state-level legislators.

Antonyms
  • constituent

    A person who votes in the district that the member of Congress represents — the relationship is representative vs. represented.

Grammar Patterns

[determiner] member of Congress

member(s) of Congress + verb

Usage Note

Commonly used with a possessive or the definite article (e.g., "her member of Congress", "the member of Congress from Ohio"). In formal writing, "Member of Congress" is often capitalized. Senators are usually called "Senator" rather than "member of Congress", though the term technically covers both chambers.

Common Mistakes

She is a congress.
She is a member of Congress.
'Congress' is the institution; a person is a 'member of Congress'.
The congress member voted for the law.
The member of Congress voted for the law.
The full phrase 'member of Congress' is the standard term, though 'congressman' / 'congresswoman' are also used informally.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Member of Congress' is the formal, gender-neutral title for an elected official in the U.S. Congress. 'Congressman/Congresswoman' are common in everyday speech and journalism but are less formal; some speakers now avoid them for gender neutrality. 'Representative' names a House member specifically, not a Senator. 'Senator' is a distinct title reserved for the upper chamber and is never used interchangeably with 'member of Congress' despite both being in Congress. 'Lawmaker' is a broader umbrella covering any legislator at the federal, state, or local level. In a news headline, 'lawmakers' might include both federal and state officials, while 'members of Congress' narrows the scope to Washington, D.C. For example: 'The lawmaker from Texas proposed a state bill' could refer to a state representative, but 'The member of Congress from Texas proposed a federal bill' clarifies the U.S. Congress.

congressman / congresswomanrepresentative ↗senator ↗lawmaker ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • member of Congress from [state]
  • serve as a member of Congress
  • write to one's member of Congress
  • run for member of Congress

Prepositions

  • from [state/district]
  • in Congress

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

'Member' comes from Old French 'membre' (a limb or body part), from Latin 'membrum'. 'Congress' comes from Latin 'congressus' (a meeting, assembly), from 'com-' (together) and 'gradi' (to step or walk). The combined phrase 'member of Congress' was in use from the earliest days of the U.S. government (late 1700s) to describe an elected participant in the national legislative assembly.