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
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
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!
The American Revolution - Introductory
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!
Civics I
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.
Nicchitta made a pitch for legislative change, noting the county was looking to Sacramento to “eliminate loopholes allowing abusive practices by attorneys that inject weak and potentially fraudulent claims into settlement pools.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026
Democrats have flipped dozens of Republican-held state legislative seats while Republicans have flipped none.
From Barron's • Apr. 12, 2026
State legislative panels convened to investigate the allegations also fizzled out after they were unable to substantiate such claims.
From Salon • Apr. 12, 2026
The White House is making some compromises by saying it wants to allow for protections and workforce training programs in its legislative framework.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026
This is not even a legal or legislative issue alone.
From "While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement" by Carolyn Maull McKinstry
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.
