legislate

verb

leg·​is·​late ˈle-jə-ˌslāt How to pronounce legislate (audio)
legislated; legislating

intransitive verb

: to perform the function of legislation
specifically : to make or enact laws

transitive verb

: to mandate, establish, or regulate by or as if by legislation

Examples of legislate in a Sentence

They are attempting to legislate morality. the need to better legislate foreign trade trying to legislate changes in the current law
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The assertion of what is known as the Major Questions Doctrine in West Virginia vs EPA held that the executive cannot act on what would be a major political question if Congress has not considered it and legislated accordingly. Clyde Wayne Crews Jr., Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025 With the passing of the law, California became the third state in the country to legislate protections for influencer kids, joining Illinois and Minnesota. Fortesa Latifi, Rolling Stone, 28 Feb. 2025 Another key issue is that states are legislating regulations on eggs (e.g., banning caged eggs—mandating 'cage-free eggs'), which is impacting the U.S. production capacity. Mark Joseph, Newsweek, 24 Feb. 2025 But for those who care about AI ethics (or, are simply paid professionals who can’t work commercially and violate copyright laws), Adobe’s approach is refreshing in the face of Silicon Valley thieves who believe that breakneck AI development will outpace the courts’ ability to legislate it. Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 13 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for legislate

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from legislator

First Known Use

1656, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of legislate was in 1656

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Legislate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legislate. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

legislate

verb
leg·​is·​late ˈlej-ə-ˌslāt How to pronounce legislate (audio)
legislated; legislating
1
: to make laws
the constitutional power to legislate
2
: to cause, establish, or regulate by legislation
legislating foreign trade

Legal Definition

legislate

verb
leg·​is·​late ˈle-jəs-ˌlāt How to pronounce legislate (audio)
legislated; legislating

intransitive verb

: to perform the function of legislation
specifically : to make or enact laws

transitive verb

: to cause, create, provide, or bring about by legislation

More from Merriam-Webster on legislate

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