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

Supporters claim this would improve transparency in one of the nation's least accessible state legislatures. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024

Same with state governments — including legislatures that pursue new laws, state supreme courts that determine the laws’ constitutionality, attorneys general who decide whether to defend them and district attorneys who enforce them. —Geoff Mulvihill, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2024

Bacon is facing off in a rematch against Tony Vargas, a Democratic member of Nebraska's unicameral legislature. —Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 4 Nov. 2024

Contra Despite the electorate’s increasingly Democratic leanings, Republicans hold a supermajority in both chambers of the legislature, giving it the power to override Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s vetoes. —Sara Dorn, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1676, in the meaning defined above

Kids 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 

: a body of persons having the power to legislate

specifically : an organized body having the authority to make laws for a political unit (as a nation or state) compare executive, judiciary