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.
-
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
-
of or relating to a legislature
noun
Other Word Forms
- legislatively adverb
- nonlegislative adjective
- nonlegislatively adverb
- prelegislative adjective
- pseudolegislative adjective
- quasi-legislative adjective
- quasi-legislatively adverb
- semilegislative adjective
- semilegislatively adverb
- unlegislative adjective
- unlegislatively adverb
Etymology
Origin of legislative
First recorded in 1635–45; legislat(ion) + -ive
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.
As the late Justice Antonin Scalia stressed, legislative floor explanations are weak evidence for the core originalist question: How would a contemporary informed reader interpret the words as enacted?
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
Soon after, Emma joined her fellow students in anti-gun advocacy, influenced by new images and thoughts of hope and legislative change.
From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026
"It comes with clinical risk, it comes with legislative risk," he explained, adding young people then required frequent assessments which GPs were "not resourced to do".
From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026
Mayor and legislative leader Antonio Villaraigosa, former Rep. Katie Porter, former state attorney general and U.S.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026
Since many of the guests had legislative power to make reforms, I suggested that they find a foster child who needed a permanent home and help make it happen in less than six months.
From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter
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.
