branches of government

Cultural  

1. The division of government into executive, legislative, and judicial branches. In the case of the federal government, the three branches were established by the Constitution. The executive branch consists of the president, the cabinet, and the various departments and executive agencies. The legislative branch consists of the two houses of Congress, the Senate and the House of Representatives, and their staff. The judicial branch consists of the Supreme Court and the other federal courts.

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Example Sentences

In a statement given to police, Vorcaro said he had "friends in all branches of government."

From Barron's • Feb. 6, 2026

One major difference between the Kennedy Center and the Smithsonian: The Kennedy Center’s board is appointed by the president, but the Smithsonian’s board consists of officials representing all three branches of government.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2025

One of the key assumptions of the Framers was that the institutions, the different branches of government, would have their own interests and a type of allegiance to themselves.

From Salon • Feb. 14, 2025

This is the empty chatter of a bot trained on revenge fantasy scripts that lacks a fourth grader’s understanding of the branches of government and separation of powers.

From Slate • Jan. 29, 2025

Theresa had begun her internship; they had all studied up on the three branches of government, and so advanced from permanent residents to citizens.

From "Typical American" by Gish Jen