legislative
Americanadjective
-
having the function of making laws.
a legislative body.
-
of or relating to the enactment of laws.
legislative proceedings; legislative power.
-
pertaining to a legislature.
a legislative recess.
-
enacted or ordained by legislation or a legislature.
legislative ruling; legislative remedy.
noun
adjective
-
of or relating to legislation
-
having the power or function of legislating
a legislative assembly
-
of or relating to a legislature
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of legislative
First recorded in 1635–45; legislat(ion) + -ive
Explanation
Legislative is an adjective that describes the act or process of passing laws. Congress is the legislative branch of the United States government. They're the ones who can pass bills, which the president can sign into law or veto. A legislator is someone charged with creating and passing new laws in the legislature. All of these words come from the same root words — lex and legis (meaning "law") and lator (meaning "proposer"). So a legislator is literally a proposer of law, and their actions are legislative in nature. If you are interested in the legislative process, you might consider going to law school and running for office. Or you might just enjoy a movie about politics instead.
Vocabulary lists containing legislative
U.S. Government Lingo
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The American Revolution - Introductory
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Civics I
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“With informed discussion, creative thinking and timely legislative action, Social Security will continue to protect future generations.”
From MarketWatch • Jun. 10, 2026
That came hours before parliament gave the green light to a legislative amendment that expands the bank's mandate to include responsibility for economic growth, but also allows lawmakers to evaluate its performance.
From Barron's • Jun. 4, 2026
As previously noted, this demand was primarily aimed at obtaining legislative language that would allow the White House to go around a court ruling that is blocking ballroom construction.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026
I wish this weren’t the case, but my favorite thing in the world is working the legislative process to deliver for a community, and I am itching to get back to doing that work.
From Salon • Jun. 2, 2026
I didn’t listen to the call he made to his legislative aide that day, explaining that he’d miss the crime-bill vote.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
