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.

---

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.

---

Etymology

Origin of executive branch

First recorded in 1710–20

Example Sentences

There were forms and traditions and processes, there were strictures, rules, the law, expectations, all of which would hem in the head of the executive branch, at least eventually.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

Iran’s supreme leader is the commander in chief of the armed forces, and the head of the judiciary, the legislature and the executive branch.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026

Finally, Congress should require the executive branch to assess explicitly how proposed tariffs will affect small businesses before implementation.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 19, 2026

Years of congressional investigations and in-depth reporting had made the country aware of massive abuses of power by the executive branch.

From Salon • Feb. 15, 2026

Adams tried to laugh himself out of the monarchical morass, claiming that he simply wanted to assure that the executive branch of the government enjoyed a fighting chance against the awesome powers of the legislature.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Related Words

• bureau
• department