legislator

noun

leg·​is·​la·​tor ˈle-jə-ˌslā-tər  -ˌslā-ˌtȯr 

 also  ˌle-jə-ˈslā-ˌtȯr

: one that makes laws especially for a political unit

especially : a member of a legislative body

legislatorial

ˌle-jə-slə-ˈtȯr-ē-əl 

adjective

legislatorship

ˈle-jə-ˌslā-tər-ˌship 

noun

Synonyms

• lawgiver
• lawmaker
• solon

Examples of legislator in a Sentence

Write to your state legislator.

the legislators met in an all-night session to hammer out the details of the bill

Recent Examples on the Web

After Thursday, legislators are expected to return to Raleigh on Nov. 19. —CBS News, 24 Oct. 2024

Despite this, Illinois legislators are hard at work to make exchange a great deal more difficult. —John Tamny, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024

Flashback: In 2022, three state legislators resigned due to the job's high demand and low pay. —Meira Gebel, Axios, 23 Oct. 2024

What the rule will do is gather information about how these services operate and their effect on consumers, something that could lead legislators to impose new restrictions, said Suzanne Martindale, the DFPI’s senior deputy commissioner for consumer financial protection. —Jon Healey, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin legis lator, literally, proposer of a law, from legis (genitive of lex law) + lator proposer, from ferre (past participle latus) to carry, propose — more at tolerate, bear

First Known Use

circa 1513, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

legislator

noun

leg·​is·​la·​tor ˈlej-ə-ˌslā-ˌtȯ(ə)r  -ˌslāt-ər 

: a person who makes laws

especially : a member of a legislature

Legal Definition

legislator

noun

leg·​is·​la·​tor ˈle-jəs-ˌlā-tər, -ˌtȯr 

: a person who makes laws especially for a political unit

especially : a member of a legislative body

legislatorial

ˌle-jəs-lə-ˈtōr-ē-əl 

adjective

legislatorship noun

Etymology

Latin legis lator, literally, proposer of a law, from legis (genitive of lex law) + lator proposer, from ferre (past participle latus) to carry, propose