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
Maine state representative Laurel Libby's lawsuit over her recent censure by the state legislature went to federal court on Friday for its first hearing in Rhode Island.
—
Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 5 Apr. 2025
What To Know The subpoena comes after a week of discussion in the Texas state legislature over management of the Houston-Dallas rail project, which Texas Central is developing.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025
To change a state line, the U.S. Constitution dictates that the Indiana legislature, the Illinois legislature and then Congress would have to approve the measure, said Indiana University Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs professor Paul Helmke.
—Alexandra Kukulka, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2025
The law had already been approved by the state legislature in 2019, and remained at the ready should Roe v. Wade be overturned.
—Drew Hawkins, NPR, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for legislature
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 5 Apr. 2025
What To Know The subpoena comes after a week of discussion in the Texas state legislature over management of the Houston-Dallas rail project, which Texas Central is developing.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025
To change a state line, the U.S. Constitution dictates that the Indiana legislature, the Illinois legislature and then Congress would have to approve the measure, said Indiana University Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs professor Paul Helmke.
—Alexandra Kukulka, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2025
The law had already been approved by the state legislature in 2019, and remained at the ready should Roe v. Wade be overturned.
—Drew Hawkins, NPR, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for legislature
Cite this Entry
“Legislature.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legislature. Accessed 11 Apr. 2025.
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
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