legislature
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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.
A similar proposal advanced in California in April but hasn’t yet made it through the legislature.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026
His minority coalition government has struggled to manage its parliamentary partners – an array of regional nationalist and left-wing parties – preventing it from approving a single new budget this legislature.
From BBC • May 30, 2026
This could in turn prompt the Delaware legislature to remove the arbitration ban to slow the migration of Delaware companies to Texas.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026
Rick Caruso captured a majority of the Latino vote in his unsuccessful bid for L.A. mayor four years ago, and there are more Latino Republicans in the state legislature than ever.
From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026
Those on the committee received due praise from the returning council members and from the state legislature, but voices of criticism were also heard.
From "An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793" by Jim Murphy
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.
