legislative
Americanadjective
-
having the function of making laws.
a legislative body.
-
of or relating to the enactment of laws.
legislative proceedings; legislative power.
-
pertaining to a legislature.
a legislative recess.
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enacted or ordained by legislation or a legislature.
legislative ruling; legislative remedy.
noun
adjective
-
of or relating to legislation
-
having the power or function of legislating
a legislative assembly
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of or relating to a legislature
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of legislative
First recorded in 1635–45; legislat(ion) + -ive
Explanation
Legislative is an adjective that describes the act or process of passing laws. Congress is the legislative branch of the United States government. They're the ones who can pass bills, which the president can sign into law or veto. A legislator is someone charged with creating and passing new laws in the legislature. All of these words come from the same root words — lex and legis (meaning "law") and lator (meaning "proposer"). So a legislator is literally a proposer of law, and their actions are legislative in nature. If you are interested in the legislative process, you might consider going to law school and running for office. Or you might just enjoy a movie about politics instead.
Vocabulary lists containing legislative
U.S. Government Lingo
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The American Revolution - Introductory
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Civics I
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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.
Though nearly a dozen candidates for various offices were invited, Villegas and two other Democrats running for legislative seats were the only ones to attend.
From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026
Last month, the legislative bodies of the rival authorities signed a US-mediated agreement to unify public spending across the divided country for the first time in over a decade.
From Barron's • May 26, 2026
The former prime minister, who is also the firebrand leader of the Pastef party, was at the top of its list in 2024's legislative elections.
From BBC • May 25, 2026
“I think this will be remembered fondly,” he claimed at a legislative recap event at the University of Denver on Tuesday.
From Slate • May 21, 2026
The British had forbidden the General Court to meet, but the Massachusetts men had merely changed the name of their legislative body and gone on sitting.
From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes
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.
