executive branch

American  

[ig-zek-yuh-tiv branch] / ɪgˈzɛk yə tɪv ˌbræntʃ /

noun

1. the branch of government charged with the execution and enforcement of laws and policies and the administration of public affairs; the executive.

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executive branch Cultural  

1. The branch of federal and state government that is broadly responsible for implementing, supporting, and enforcing the laws made by the legislative branch and interpreted by the judicial branch. At the state level, the executive includes governors and their staffs. At the federal level, the executive includes the president, the vice president, staffs of appointed advisers (including the cabinet), and a variety of departments and agencies, such as the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Postal Service (see postmaster general). The executive branch also proposes a great deal of legislation to Congress and appoints federal judges, including justices of the Supreme Court. Although the executive branch guides the nation's domestic and foreign policies, the system of checks and balances works to limit its power.

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Etymology

Origin of executive branch

First recorded in 1710–20

Example Sentences

A three-judge panel found three of the seven transfer schemes legal because power passed from the governor to another elected executive branch member.

From Salon

The European Commission, the bloc’s executive branch, recently announced a €600 million temporary fund to help domestic businesses cope with a new carbon border tax that will take effect in January.

From The Wall Street Journal

The approval by the U.S. executive branch announced on Wednesday initiates a 30-day period for Congress to review and potentially object to the sales.

From The Wall Street Journal

Congress has abdicated many roles to the executive branch, but the Senate continues to guard closely its constitutional power of advise and consent.

From The Wall Street Journal

And under the Constitution, isn’t levying taxes the province of Congress, not the executive branch?

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• bureau
• department