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

After another year of congressional gridlock, state legislatures moved ahead on their own, filling policy gaps that Washington has left open for years. —Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 2 Jan. 2026

His allies recently launched a nonprofit designed to build pressure on city and state lawmakers to pass his agenda in the city and state legislature in Albany. —Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 1 Jan. 2026

To have a chance at ousting the incumbents, Cooper said Cunningham and Majeeds’ challengers will have to succeed at educating voters about what happened in 2025 at a time when many don’t follow the legislature closely. —Mary Ramsey january 1, Charlotte Observer, 1 Jan. 2026

Republicans are defending a narrow majority in the House — Democrats need to net just three seats to take back control (a task that could be complicated by the ongoing redistricting wildfire that has swept state legislatures across the country). —Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 1 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1676, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for legislature

• nomenclature
• nature

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