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
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
Since 2020, nine states have enacted new laws aiming to identify and remove noncitizens from their voter rolls, and legislation is currently active in 16 states, according to the Voting Rights Lab.
—Miles Parks, NPR, 12 Apr. 2024
The original 2019 legislation required hospitals, birth centers and primary care clinics to conduct bias training for pre- and post-natal care providers.
—Darrell Smith, Sacramento Bee, 12 Apr. 2024
On Wednesday, more than a dozen Republicans voted against the measure -- a federal law that establishes procedures for intelligence gathering of foreign nationals -- despite urging from Johnson that the legislation reformed the FISA program and is necessary for national security.
—Sarah Beth Hensley, ABC News, 12 Apr. 2024
The Section 702 legislation now up for renewal incorporates these reforms so they are now statutorily required.
—The Editors, National Review, 12 Apr. 2024
Madeleine Parrish A week after a student in Phoenix's Madison Elementary School District was found with a firearm on a school bus, the district's governing board called on state lawmakers to pass legislation regulating how guns are stored.
—The Arizona Republic, 11 Apr. 2024
But the legislation itself does not directly outline this opt-out mechanism that Bailey referred to and rather directs school administrators to consider each certification individually.
—Rachel Wegner, USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024
During a hearing over the legislation in January only one person testified against the legislation: Timothy Faber, a pastor and director of the Lake of the Ozarks Baptist Association.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 11 Apr. 2024
The legislation would raise fines for child labor violations and deposit them into a fund for enforcement.
—Lauren Kaori Gurley, Washington Post, 31 Mar. 2024
Miles Parks, NPR, 12 Apr. 2024
The original 2019 legislation required hospitals, birth centers and primary care clinics to conduct bias training for pre- and post-natal care providers.
—Darrell Smith, Sacramento Bee, 12 Apr. 2024
On Wednesday, more than a dozen Republicans voted against the measure -- a federal law that establishes procedures for intelligence gathering of foreign nationals -- despite urging from Johnson that the legislation reformed the FISA program and is necessary for national security.
—Sarah Beth Hensley, ABC News, 12 Apr. 2024
The Section 702 legislation now up for renewal incorporates these reforms so they are now statutorily required.
—The Editors, National Review, 12 Apr. 2024
Madeleine Parrish A week after a student in Phoenix's Madison Elementary School District was found with a firearm on a school bus, the district's governing board called on state lawmakers to pass legislation regulating how guns are stored.
—The Arizona Republic, 11 Apr. 2024
But the legislation itself does not directly outline this opt-out mechanism that Bailey referred to and rather directs school administrators to consider each certification individually.
—Rachel Wegner, USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024
During a hearing over the legislation in January only one person testified against the legislation: Timothy Faber, a pastor and director of the Lake of the Ozarks Baptist Association.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 11 Apr. 2024
The legislation would raise fines for child labor violations and deposit them into a fund for enforcement.
—Lauren Kaori Gurley, Washington Post, 31 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'legislation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near legislation
Cite this Entry
“Legislation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legislation. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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