comitology

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UK/ˌkɒm.ɪˈtɒl.ə.dʒi/US/ˌkɑm.ɪˈtɑl.ə.d͡ʒi/

noun

The system of committees, composed of representatives of the member states, used to oversee European Commission implementing acts made under European Union legislation.

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Meanings

nouncomitology (countable and uncountable, plural comitologies)

plural comitologies · alternative commitology

  1. European UnioncountableuncountableThe system of committees, composed of representatives of the member states, used to oversee European Commission implementing acts made under European Union legislation.
  2. countablehumorousuncountableThe study of how committees could work, expand, and ramify.

Origin

From committee + -ology, introduced by Cyril Northcote Parkinson in humorous essays published in The Economist.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Czech komitologie
  • komitologieart of resolving issues by committees
Danish komitologi
  • komitologiart of resolving issues by committees
Dutch comitologie
  • comitologieart of resolving issues by committees
Finnish komitologia
  • komitologiaart of resolving issues by committees
French comitologie
  • comitologieart of resolving issues by committees
German Komitologie
  • Komitologieart of resolving issues by committees
Greek επιτροπολογία
  • επιτροπολογία (epitropología)art of resolving issues by committees
Italian comitologia
  • comitologiaart of resolving issues by committees
Portuguese comitologia
  • comitologiaart of resolving issues by committees
Russian комитоло́гия f комиссоло́гия
  • комитоло́гия f комиссоло́гия (Parkinson)art of resolving issues by committees
Spanish comitología
  • comitologíaart of resolving issues by committees
Swedish kommittéförfarande, kommittésystem
  • kommittéförfarandeart of resolving issues by committees
  • kommittésystemart of resolving issues by committees
  • sometimes kommittébestämmelserart of resolving issues by committees
Cite this entry
APA

comitology. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/comitology

MLA

“comitology.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/comitology. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “comitology,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/comitology.

Source: comitology on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.