legislative
Americanadjective
-
having the function of making laws.
a legislative body.
-
of or relating to the enactment of laws.
legislative proceedings; legislative power.
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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
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of or relating to legislation
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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.
She was chair of the Legislative Black Caucus and authored a bill that created a reparations task force, restricted when police can use deadly force and made ethnic studies mandatory for California State University students.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
The Legislative Analyst’s Office, a nonpartisan state agency that advises California’s legislature, in February warned that revenues are vulnerable to a stock-market downturn and urged lawmakers to be cautious about committing to new spending.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026
Legislative leaders choose both lawyers and nonlawyers to serve.
From Slate • Apr. 10, 2026
Legislative sessions are still underway in some states, and he pointed to Florida as a potential barometer for where laws on election administration might go in the months and years ahead.
From Salon • Mar. 31, 2026
One of them—Comrade Guhan Menon—was tipped to be the Party’s candidate for the Kottayam by-elections to the Legislative Assembly due next March.
From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy
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.
