legislation

noun

leg·​is·​la·​tion ˌle-jə-ˈslā-shən 

1

: the action of legislating

specifically : the exercise of the power and function of making rules (such as laws) that have the force of authority by virtue of their promulgation by an official organ of a state or other organization

the major function of Congress is legislation

—W. S. Sayre

2

: the enactments of a legislator or a legislative body

legislation to help distressed homeowners

3

: a matter of business for or under consideration by a legislative body

She proposed new legislation to protect the environment.

Examples of legislation in a Sentence

They passed new state legislation this week.

Two new pieces of legislation are being considered.

She introduced legislation for protecting the environment.

More legislation is needed on this matter.

Certain animals are protected under state legislation.

One of the important functions of government is legislation.

Recent Examples on the Web

While state officials began preparing for a second Trump presidency and Democrats questioned what went wrong with Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign, California passed legislation cracking down on crime and expanding environmental protections across the state. —Grant Stringer, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024

This year, lawmakers in about a dozen states have introduced legislation banning those same chemicals and, in some states, additional chemicals as well. —Jonquilyn Hill, Vox, 5 Nov. 2024

Switzerland voted in 2022 to introduce its own streamer tax-and-quota system; Canada passed legislation to force foreign platforms to directly subsidize local content; and in 2022 Netflix started to pay local taxes in Australia on earnings from that country's users. —Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

For example, discussing how a new piece of legislation might impact company operations can be a productive way to engage with political issues without getting into personal beliefs. —Stephen Nalley, Rolling Stone, 5 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1606, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

legislation

noun

leg·​is·​la·​tion ˌlej-ə-ˈslā-shən 

1

: the action of making laws

2

: the laws made by a legislator or legislative body

Legal Definition

legislation

noun

leg·​is·​la·​tion ˌle-jəs-ˈlā-shən 

1

: the making or giving of laws

specifically : the exercise of the power and function of making rules that have the force of authority by virtue of their promulgation by an official organ of the state

2

: the enactments of a legislator or legislative body

3

: a matter of business for or under consideration by a legislative body

recently proposed legislation