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
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Vocabulary from The Articles of Confederation
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The American Revolution - Introductory
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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.
See Examples For:
He added that he hopes the legislature and next governor can work to narrow down who benefits most from the legislation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026
The country’s legislature recently expanded anti-money-laundering laws to impose stricter due diligence requirements and push companies to collect more information on their controlling ownership, among other measures.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
In 1974, when he was district magistrate of Uttarkashi in what was then undivided Uttar Pradesh, a senior minister was contesting the state legislature election.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
They steal electricity cables, damage water pipes and dig up roads, said Michael Sun, a member of the provincial legislature in Gauteng, which includes Johannesburg.
From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026
He ran for the Nevada legislature and failed again.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
In response, tech executives are clearly realizing that city councils and state legislatures can do a lot to constrain them.
From Salon ● Sep. 2, 2026
Accreditation determines whether other states will accept a state’s solvency examinations and, in practice, places intense pressure on legislatures to enact specified model laws.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
Local council elections, local and combined-authority mayoral elections, devolved legislatures, European Parliament elections and London Assembly elections were excluded.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
We made ourselves seen and heard, mounting a sustained, affirmative campaign in the states, in the legislatures, and in the courts of law alongside, most crucially, the court of public opinion.
From Slate ● Aug. 3, 2026
State legislatures enacted harsh new punishments for crimes, naming statutes after particular victims.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
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.
