front bench

noun

In the House of Commons, either of two benches nearest the floor of the chamber, one occupied by the members of the Cabinet and the other by the Shadow Cabinet.

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Meanings

nounfront bench (plural front benches)

plural front benches · alternative frontbench · alternative front-bench

  1. UKIn the House of Commons, either of two benches nearest the floor of the chamber, one occupied by the members of the Cabinet and the other by the Shadow Cabinet.

    On her preparedness to return to Labour's front bench under new Leader of the Opposition Sir Kier Starmer, she is non-committal.

    2020 June 3, Lilian Greenwood talks to Paul Stephen, “Rail's 'underlying challenges' remain”, in Rail, page 35
  2. Those Members of Parliament occupying the front benches.
Cite this entry
APA

front bench. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/front%20bench

MLA

“front bench.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/front%20bench. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “front bench,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/front%20bench.

Source: front bench on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.