filibuster

filibuster

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Pronunciation

The phonetic spelling of filibuster is /ˈfɪl.ə.bʌs.tər/.

The word is broken down into four syllables with the following sounds:

• fi - /ˈfɪl/: This syllable has the primary stress. It contains the /f/ sound as in fish, the /ɪ/ sound as in it, and the /l/ sound as in lamp.

• i - /ə/: This is an unstressed syllable with a schwa sound, like the 'a' in about.

• bus - /bʌs/: This syllable contains the /b/ sound as in ball, the /ʌ/ sound as in cup, and the /s/ sound as in sun.

• ter - /tər/: This final syllable contains the /t/ sound as in top and the /ər/ sound as in teacher.

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Word Form Variations

• Noun (singular): filibuster

• Noun (plural): filibusters

• Verb (base): filibuster

• Verb (present tense): filibusters

• Verb (past tense): filibustered

• Verb (present participle): filibustering

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Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms

Noun

1. (Politics) An obstructive legislative tactic, most often involving prolonged speechmaking, used to delay or entirely prevent a vote on a bill or resolution. 🗣️

2. A person, typically a legislator, who engages in such a tactic.

• Synonyms: obstruction, stonewalling, delaying tactic, procrastination

• Antonyms: cloture, expedition, facilitation, dispatch, advancement

Verb

1. (intransitive) To intentionally obstruct or delay progress in a legislative assembly by using prolonged speeches or introducing irrelevant issues.

2. (transitive) To use a filibuster against a particular piece of legislation.

• Synonyms: obstruct, block, stall, impede, delay

• Antonyms: support, pass, expedite, advance, facilitate

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Examples of Use

In Newspapers and Online Publications

• The New York Times: In a discussion about legislative gridlock, an article noted, "Senate Republicans on Thursday blocked a bill to protect nationwide access to contraception, the latest in a series of election-year votes forced by Democrats to spotlight their opponents’ positions on reproductive rights. The 51-39 vote fell short of the 60 needed to overcome a filibuster and move forward with the legislation." (June 2024)

• Vox: An explanatory article on Senate procedure stated, "Democrats are confronting the reality that their biggest legislative priorities... are doomed to fail in the Senate without changes to the filibuster, the 60-vote threshold required to pass most bills." (March 2021)

In Books

• Non-Fiction: In his book Kill Switch: The Rise of the Modern Senate and the Crippling of American Democracy, former Senate aide Adam Jentleson writes, "The filibuster, once a rarity, has become a routine weapon of partisan warfare, transforming the Senate from the world's greatest deliberative body into a legislative graveyard." (January 2021)

• Fiction: A political thriller might feature a passage like, "The veteran senator knew his only chance to stop the bill was to take to the floor and launch a filibuster, speaking for as long as his voice would hold out, hoping to rally public support and peel off a few crucial votes."

In Entertainment

• Film: The classic 1939 film Mr. Smith Goes to Washington contains one of the most iconic cinematic depictions of the procedure. The protagonist, Jefferson Smith, launches a dramatic, 24-hour filibuster on the Senate floor to expose corruption and prevent the passage of a fraudulent bill.

• Television: The NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation featured a memorable episode titled "Filibuster," where Councilwoman Leslie Knope filibusters a city council vote by reading from books, reciting movie plots, and even roller-skating around the chamber to run out the clock.

In Public Discourse

• Political Speeches: It is common to hear political leaders reference the tactic in speeches and press conferences. For instance, a Senate leader might state, "We will not allow a minority of senators to obstruct the will of the people by using the filibuster to block this essential voting rights legislation."

• General Conversation: In everyday discussions about politics, one might hear someone say, "Nothing ever gets done in Congress because every important bill gets filibustered by the other party."

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10 Famous Quotes Using Filibuster

1. "If all this takes eliminating the filibuster, another Jim Crow relic, in order to secure the God-given rights of every American, then that's what we should do." (Barack Obama)

2. "The legislative filibuster is the most important distinction between the Senate and the House." (Mitch McConnell)

3. "When the minority is telling the majority 'you've got to stop, we are going to filibuster this and we're not going to let you get a vote,' that's when the talking filibuster comes in." (Joe Manchin)

4. "I can tell you that getting rid of the filibuster would be the end of the Senate as it was originally devised and created going back to our Founding Fathers." (Dick Durbin)

5. "I have favored filibuster reform for a long time and now especially for this critical election bill." (Amy Klobuchar)

6. "We've got to eliminate the filibuster." (Sherrod Brown)

7. "We will not allow a minority of senators to obstruct the will of the people by using the filibuster to block this essential voting rights legislation." (Original)

8. "The ability of a small group to derail legislative action has prevented senators from working across party lines to engage in bipartisan deliberation and policymaking without reform, if not abolition, of this rule, advocates for democracy will not be able to move their agenda 1into action." (Caroline Fredrickson)

9. "We need to move this country forward, and that's why I've decided to come out in support of eliminating the filibuster." (Tina Smith)

10. "The Senate is a place of deliberation, not obstruction, and the filibuster has too often become a tool of the latter." (Original)

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Etymology

The word filibuster has a surprisingly adventurous and rebellious history that begins with pirates.

Think of it like this: the word went on a European tour before it ever landed in a government building.

1. It Started with Dutch Pirates: The journey begins with the Dutch word vrijbuiter, which literally meant "freebooter." It was a combination of vrij ("free") and buiten ("to plunder" or "loot"). A freebooter was essentially a pirate or privateer—someone who roamed the seas, taking what they wanted, unbound by any country's laws.

2. It Traveled to France and Spain: From Dutch, the word was picked up by the French as flibustier and then by the Spanish as filibustero. Both words kept the same essential meaning: a pirate or military adventurer, especially those who were disrupting trade and colonies in the Caribbean.

3. It Came to America with a New Meaning: In the mid-1800s, the word entered the English language as filibuster. Its first known use in English referred specifically to American adventurers who, in the years before the Civil War, tried to lead private military invasions of countries in Central America and the Caribbean. Their goal was to overthrow the local governments and seize control. These men were seen as "political pirates," acting outside the law to disrupt and take over.

4. The Final Jump to Politics: Around that same time, in the 1850s, the U.S. Congress was a place of extreme tension and conflict. Legislators began using tactics of endless debate to stop any action from being taken. Because this tactic was seen as a way of "hijacking" the legislative process and seizing control by breaking the normal rules of debate, the term filibuster was a perfect fit.

So, the core idea has always been the same: a filibuster is someone who uses irregular, disruptive tactics to seize control and stop the normal course of action—whether they're a pirate on the high seas or a politician on the Senate floor.

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Phrases + Idioms Containing Filibuster

1. To mount a filibuster: To begin the act of filibustering; to formally start the legislative obstruction.

2. To break a filibuster: To end a filibuster, typically by achieving the necessary number of votes for cloture (the procedure to end a debate and take a vote).

3. A talking filibuster: The classic version of the tactic where a senator must continuously speak on the floor to maintain control and block a vote.

4. A filibuster-proof majority: A political party holding enough seats (typically 60 out of 100 in the U.S. Senate) to overcome any filibuster attempt by the minority party.

5. A conversational filibuster: An original phrase describing a situation where one person dominates a discussion, preventing others from speaking, much like a politician holding the floor.

6. To filibuster bedtime: A humorous, original phrase for when a child uses endless excuses, questions, and delays to avoid going to sleep.

7. To run out the clock: While not using the word itself, this sports idiom perfectly captures the primary goal of a filibuster—to use up all the available time to prevent a final action or vote.

8. To stonewall the process: This phrase uses a close synonym. Stonewalling means refusing to cooperate or answer questions, which is a key component of a filibuster's obstructive nature.

9. To throw a wrench in the works: This idiom means to create a problem that stops a plan from proceeding, which is the exact functional purpose of a filibuster in a legislative body.

10. To drag one's feet: A common idiom for intentionally delaying a process or decision, which aligns with the filibuster's effect of slowing down or halting legislative progress.

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Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA

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Source Information

Definition of filibuster from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.

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