The term "upper chamber" refers to one of two chambers in a bicameral legislative body, where it is typically used to describe the more powerful or prestigious chamber. In many countries with this type of system, such as the United States Senate and Canada's House of Commons, the upper chamber serves as the final arbiter on laws passed by the lower chamber (or houses). This means that legislation must pass both chambers in order to become law. The term "upper" is used because it typically sits above or has more power than the other chamber, which is often referred to as the "lower" chamber.