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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
legislatesimple
-
legislatessimple
-
have legislatedperfect
-
has legislatedperfect
-
am legislatingprogressive
-
are legislatingprogressive
-
is legislatingprogressive
-
have been legislatingperfect progressive
-
has been legislatingperfect progressive
Past
-
legislatedsimple
-
had legislatedperfect
-
was legislatingprogressive
-
were legislatingprogressive
-
had been legislatingperfect progressive
Future
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"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Iroquois Constitution
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Word Generation Weekly - Series 2
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
They’ve packed town halls, prompted state and local political leaders to legislate limits on their growth or even to ban them.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2026
It’s done at the state level, and Congress can legislate to alter the time, place, and manner of elections.
From Slate ● Apr. 15, 2026
And Washington, for all of its efforts to reshape the economy, can’t legislate aging away.
From Barron's ● Apr. 3, 2026
I don’t know how you legislate against greed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 12, 2026
I’m sure people did question whether Italian printers were quite the right people to legislate on the meaning of everything; but on the other hand, resistance was obviously useless against ajamily that could invent italics.
From "Eats, Shoots & Leaves" by Author
The General Assembly legislates for a narrowly politically divided state of some 8.7 million people and considers thousands of bills in sessions scheduled for at most 60 days in even-numbered years, less in odd-numbered years.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 9, 2024
First, it legislates more than mere time, place and manner restrictions.
From Salon ● Mar. 8, 2023
One of Ms Forbes' rivals for the leadership, Humza Yousaf, is a Muslim but he insists his faith does not dictate how he legislates.
From BBC ● Feb. 21, 2023
This division of responsibility—Congress legislates policy goals and agencies implement them effectively—is the foundation of functional government.
From Slate ● Dec. 1, 2020
Christ, as a teacher of law and morals, legislates for the heart.
From Autobiography of Frank G. Allen, Minister of the Gospel and Selections from his Writings by Graham, Robert
“The implementation of these standards will deliver a simple, consistent regulatory framework for large data centers and AI training and be the first to be legislated by a government worldwide,” Albanese said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
Traditional sports betting, through companies like DraftKings and FanDuel, is regulated and legislated by U.S. states, and there are states where Americans still cannot legally bet on sports.
From MarketWatch ● May 15, 2026
The White House’s plan “may represent a policy opening” that “could evolve into a legislated, progressive, and secure universal system,” said Wealth Equity Lab’s Ghilarducci in the statement.
From Barron's ● Feb. 25, 2026
Between inflation, upkeep, and labor costs—including a Nevada minimum wage that jumped to $12 last year—Lovat argued, the salad days of low-minimum blackjack have been legislated out of the fray.
From Slate ● Nov. 18, 2025
The rules of standard English are not legislated by a tribunal of lexicographers but emerge as an implicit consensus within a virtual community of writers, readers, and editors.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
The Irish government has warned that it is considering legislating in the absence of an EU decision.
From Barron's ● Jul. 12, 2026
This week marks the eighth anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court ruling that struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act and allowed states to begin legislating sports betting.
From MarketWatch ● May 15, 2026
WSJ Analysis The U.S. plan rests on a series of promises by Russia, including legislating in its parliament a policy of non-aggression towards Europe and Ukraine.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 21, 2025
The board will primarily be responsible for delivering services to the unincorporated portions of the county, legislating and holding the executive accountable.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 13, 2024
I accepted the new position at the hospital; Barack continued teaching and legislating.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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.
