legislate
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
verb
-
(intr) to make or pass laws
-
(tr) to bring into effect by legislation
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of legislate
First recorded in 1710–20; back formation from legislation, legislator
Explanation
To legislate is to make laws. If you thought there should be a law that all money should be pink instead of green, you might write to your congresswoman with a suggestion to legislate your idea. Formal government bodies legislate. So, while you might create a rule at home to ban phone calls at dinner, the House of Representatives would legislate communication regulations during meals. Legislate may seem like a tricky word, but you can easily remember the meaning if you notice that the word begins with the same leg as the word legal does; both words relate to the law.
Vocabulary lists containing legislate
100 SAT Words Beginning with "J," "K," and "L"
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Iroquois Constitution
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Word Generation Weekly - Series 2
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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.
Harvard Cannot Legislate Race Problems Out of Existence The Board of Overseers of Harvard University unanimously adopted a unanimous report of a faculty committee advising against any form of racial or religious discrimination.
From Time Magazine Archive
Legislate opening and closing hours of businesses to stagger to'ing and fro'ing?
From How and When to Be Your Own Doctor by Solomon, Steve
Legislate for your whole state, and nothing less.
From Our Vanishing Wild Life Its Extermination and Preservation by Hornaday, William Temple
Legislate, lej′is-lāt, v.i. to bring forward, propose, or make laws.—n.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 2 of 4: E-M) by Various
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.
