Synonyms

legislate

American

[lej-is-leyt] / ˈlɛdʒ ɪsˌleɪt /

verb (used without object)

legislated, legislating

to exercise the function of legislation; make or enact laws.

verb (used with object)

legislated, legislating

to create, provide, or control by legislation.

attempts to legislate morality.

legislate British

/ ˈlɛdʒɪsˌleɪt /

verb

(intr) to make or pass laws
(tr) to bring into effect by legislation

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

overlegislate verb
quasi-legislated adjective
unlegislated adjective

Etymology

Origin of legislate

First recorded in 1710–20; back formation from legislation, legislator

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.

Connolly emphasized that the bill does not attempt to legislate on any prison closure decisions.

From Los Angeles Times

Now technically, given this a policy area reserved to Westminster, none of the MSPs elected next May will actually be able to legislate on immigration.

From BBC

Believing that slavery could only be legislated out of existence state by state, Clay campaigned for a convention to rewrite Kentucky’s constitution to set slavery on a course toward extinction.

From The Wall Street Journal

"If we see that this evolution does not happen, or is not enough, the government will not hesitate to legislate different means."

From BBC

Even those who approve of legislating against femicide agree that it must come with far broader measures against gender inequality.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023