committee of the whole
noun
the entire membership of a legislative body, sitting in a deliberative rather than a legislative capacity, for informal debate and preliminary consideration of matters awaiting legislative action.
Origin of committee of the whole
First recorded in 1745–55
Words nearby committee of the whole
committed,
committed facility,
committee,
committee of correspondence,
committee of one,
committee of the whole,
committee of the whole house,
committeeman,
committeeperson,
committeewoman,
commix
Example sentences from the Web for committee of the whole
Their decisions were made in committee-of-the-whole, and nothing was done that could not meet with the willing consent of all.
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