"Westminster" is often used as shorthand for the Palace of Westminster, which houses the Parliament of the United Kingdom and also, in a similar but contrary way, for the government (rather than legislature), which has many departments in the area (see Whitehall).
"Westminster" is also used in reference to the Westminster System, the democratic system of government that has evolved in the United Kingdom. The Westminster System is used or adapted for use in some nations, especially those formerly part of the British Empire and currently in the British Commonwealth.
"Westminster" is also sometimes used as shorthand for Westminster Abbey, the traditional place of coronation and burial for English monarchs, or for Westminster School, a particularly grand and ancient English public school.
Westminster is also the name of a number of places in the United States of America: