legislature
Americannoun
-
legislatures
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of legislature
First recorded in 1670–80; legislat(or) + -ure
Explanation
A legislature is a governing body that makes laws and can also amend or repeal them. The word legislature comes from the Latin word for "law" — legis. In the US, each state has a legislature — made up of the elected state senators and assemblymen or women, or representatives. The US Congress is the national legislature. These bodies, whose members are often referred to as "law-makers," make up the legislative branch of government, as distinct from the executive and judicial branches.
Vocabulary lists containing legislature
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!
Vocabulary from The Articles of Confederation
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!
The American Revolution - Introductory
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:
For 20 years, he served as one of only a handful of pro-democracy lawmakers in the legislature, largely made up of pro-Beijing loyalists.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
Voters who find the continued cultural swirl around this issue icky nonetheless may take comfort that their legislature already is getting the matter under control.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
Ford, the first openly gay person ever elected to that state’s legislature, unseated a Republican incumbent and is headed to the House.
From Salon ● Nov. 5, 2026
Having since left the legislature, Hertzberg — now a private citizen — is trying again.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
Both Stanton and Anthony were delighted with the achievement, but eager for the legislature to move forward on the question of giving women the right to vote.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
Around the country, state legislatures from both parties have used preemption laws to control local governments.
From Salon ● Oct. 28, 2026
“Gubernatorial races in other states, notably Georgia and Ohio, will also have important implications for data-center development, and state legislatures are likely to remain active regardless of election outcomes,” the Evercore analysts wrote.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026
Maher said there has been "quite a bit of activity" in state legislatures to approve and reauthorise other methods of execution since Trump began expressing enthusiasm for the death penalty.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
Pan is part of a wave of doctors and scientists running for office this November — for school boards, city councils, state legislatures, the House and U.S.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2026
State legislatures enacted harsh new punishments for crimes, naming statutes after particular victims.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
