The Parliament of Dunces
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Convened by Henry IV at Coventry, in 1404, and so called because all lawyers were excluded from it. Also known as the Lawless, and Unlearned, Parliament.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “The Parliament of Dunces” mean?
Convened by Henry IV at Coventry, in 1404, and so called because all lawyers were excluded from it. Also known as the Lawless, and Unlearned, Parliament.
Is “The Parliament of Dunces” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.