legislature
noun
leg·is·la·ture
ˈle-jə-ˌslā-chər 
also ˌle-jə-ˈslā-,
British often ˈle-jə-slə-chə
: a body of persons having the power to legislate
specifically
: an organized body having the authority to make laws for a political unit
Examples of legislature in a Sentence
Our legislature passed a law requiring people to wear safety belts.
Each state has its own legislature.
Recent Examples on the Web
On the other side of the country, the head of the Washington state DOT has requested $150 million from the state legislature to address the shortcomings of legacy highways.
—
David Zipper, Vox, 13 Nov. 2024
The legislature approved the bill in late March and a few weeks later overrode a veto by Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, who said the bill advanced too quickly and that there should be a testing period before fully autonomous vehicles are allowed to drive in the state.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
The cowboy code and citizen legislature feed into Wyoming's political reputation as a handshake-forward, small-town style, independently thinking state.
—Cy Neff, USA TODAY, 5 Nov. 2024
In cases of divided government, the legislature and executive oversee one another, raising a public alarm at any sign of malfeasance.
—Jenna Bednar, Foreign Affairs, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for legislature 
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.
David Zipper, Vox, 13 Nov. 2024
The legislature approved the bill in late March and a few weeks later overrode a veto by Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, who said the bill advanced too quickly and that there should be a testing period before fully autonomous vehicles are allowed to drive in the state.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
The cowboy code and citizen legislature feed into Wyoming's political reputation as a handshake-forward, small-town style, independently thinking state.
—Cy Neff, USA TODAY, 5 Nov. 2024
In cases of divided government, the legislature and executive oversee one another, raising a public alarm at any sign of malfeasance.
—Jenna Bednar, Foreign Affairs, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for legislature
Dictionary Entries Near legislature
Cite this Entry
“Legislature.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legislature. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
legislature
noun
leg·is·la·ture
ˈlej-ə-ˌslā-chər
: an organized body of persons having the authority to make laws
Legal Definition
legislature
noun
leg·is·la·ture
ˈle-jəs-ˌlā-chər, -ˌchu̇r
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share